New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has officially moved into the historic Gracie Mansion, and he’s already hoping to make changes. The mayor spoke to reporters on Jan. 12 and shared his ‘aspirational hope’ to have a few bidets installed in the mayor’s residence.

‘One thing that we will change is we will be installing a few bidets into Gracie Mansion,’ Mamdani said. ‘That’s an aspirational hope. We’ll see if we can get it done.’

A prominent New York City Democrat mocked the mayor’s idea, painting it as a rich man’s fantasy coming from someone who preaches socialism.

‘He’s been mayor for a minute and now the socialist thinks he’s flush with so much cash he can buy bidets,’ the prominent Democrat, who asked to remain anonymous, told Fox News Digital.

When speaking to Fox News Digital, the prominent Democrat pointed out the difference between the reaction to Mamdani’s ‘aspirational hope’ to add bidets versus President Donald Trump’s renovations to the White House’s Lincoln Bedroom bathroom.

Trump posted photos of the renovated bathroom on Truth Social in November celebrating the upgrade which included ‘highly-polished, statuary marble.’ While the president argued that the renovation was in line with the original vision for the space, historians disagreed and comedians mocked him. John Oliver, the host of ‘Last Week Tonight,’ called it ‘tone-deaf.’

The president’s renovations to the East Wing ballroom have also drawn criticism and mockery with Democrats taking aim at the president over the project. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said during an appearance on MSNBC that Trump ‘found time to demolish the East Wing of the White House so that he can build a ballroom where he can be celebrated as if he was a king.’

The East Wing renovation was mocked on ‘Saturday Night Live,’ which did a skit featuring James Austin Johnson as Trump and Miles Teller as Drew and Jonathan Scott from HGTV’s popular home makeover show ‘The Property Brothers.’ The mockery didn’t end there. During a ‘Weekend Update’ segment, Michael Che said he was glad the floor looked ‘slippery,’ according to the Architect’s Newspaper.

The Gracie Mansion Conservancy’s website notes that the residence was originally built by Archibald Gracie, a prosperous merchant, in 1799 and was originally a country house located five miles north of what was then known as New York City. Since then, the city has expanded and the mansion is currently located in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, which is known to be one of the wealthier parts of the city.

The conservancy also stated that Gracie Mansion is one of the oldest surviving wooden structures in Manhattan and has served as the official residence of New York City mayors since 1942.

‘Parks Commissioner Robert Moses convinced City authorities to designate the Gracie Mansion as the official residence of the Mayor in 1942 when Fiorello H. La Guardia and his family moved into the house,’ the conservancy’s website reads.

HomeAdvisor, a home-improvement cost and contractor marketplace owned by Angi, said in 2025 that the average cost to install a bidet was $640, with a typical range of $400 to $1,500. The site noted that costs can run as low as $40 or as high as $2,000. The bidet type, size and quality, as well as necessary plumbing modifications can impact the installation cost.

Meanwhile, HomeGuide, a home-improvement cost guide that compiles pricing data from contractors and project estimates, broke down bidet pricing by unit and installation. The site said a standalone bidet could cost between $700 and $2,600 including installation, while the unit and installation cost for a bidet attachment typically ranges from $100 to $300.

It is unclear how exactly the city would install bidets in Gracie Mansion.

New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection celebrated Mamdani’s announcement, saying that ‘more bidets = fewer wet wipes.’

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday lashed out at President Donald Trump, labeling him a ‘criminal’ and accusing the U.S. of orchestrating unrest that has erupted into the deadliest protests in decades.

‘The latest anti-Iran sedition was different in that the U.S. President personally became involved,’ Iranian media quoted Khamenei as saying, per Reuters.

The statement is the latest Iranian government rhetoric blaming the U.S. for contributing to instability in Iran, with Tehran singling out Trump as a central figure in what it calls foreign-driven unrest. The regime has also been pointing fingers at Israel. 

Protests have raged in Iran since late December, initially over economic problems but rapidly expanding into widespread anti-regime demonstrations. Demonstrators have been met with severe crackdowns by security forces.

Human rights groups say thousands of protesters have been killed in the unrest. Reports from various groups say Khamenei was responsible for a crackdown that killed thousands of protesters. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists in Iran on Friday put the death toll at 3,090.

The number, which exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the 1979 revolution, continues to rise.

Meanwhile, Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi told Bret Baier on ‘Special Report’ on Monday that a minimum of 12,000 people were dead.

Trump has expressed support for Iranian protesters and talked about regime change, while some Republican lawmakers have openly urged Trump to consider military action.

The president said on Tuesday that he cut off meetings with the Iranian regime, saying there would be no contact until the government stops killing protesters. He also urged the Iranian people to ‘take over’ the country.

When asked if Arab and Israeli officials ‘convinced’ him to not strike Iran, Trump told reporters Friday that he convinced himself and cited the canceled hangings. 

Trump also expressed similar sentiments on social media Friday.

‘I greatly respect the fact that all scheduled hangings, which were to take place yesterday (Over 800 of them), have been canceled by the leadership of Iran. Thank you!’ Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Friday. 

It is unclear who Trump spoke to in Iran to confirm the state of any planned executions. The statement echoes what White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday about the canceled executions. She maintained that all options remained on the table when it comes to dealing with Iran.

‘What I will say with respect to Iran is that the president and his team have communicated to the Iranian regime that if the killing continues, there will be grave consequences,’ Leavitt told reporters Thursday. ‘And the president received a message as he revealed to all of you and the whole world yesterday that the killing and the executions will stop. And the president understands today that 800 executions that were scheduled and supposed to take place yesterday were halted.’ 

It’s unclear from Trump’s post if he was referring to the 800 executions that were already canceled or whether there have been two consecutive days when 800 executions have been called off. 

Meanwhile, a sermon by Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami carried by Iranian state radio sparked chants from those gathered for prayers, including: ‘Armed hypocrites should be put to death!’

Khatami, a member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts and Guardian Council long known for his hardline views, described the protesters as the ‘butlers’ of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ‘Trump’s soldiers,’ according to The Associated Press.

He said Netanyahu and Trump should await ‘hard revenge from the system.’

‘Americans and Zionists should not expect peace,’ the cleric said.

Fox News Digital’s Benjamin Weinthal and Diana Stancy, as well as Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, U.S. ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker pushed back against growing European backlash over Washington’s focus on Greenland after France announced new military exercises with Denmark, saying Arctic security is a core American defense interest and that Europe ‘has a tendency to overreact.’

Asked whether the dispute reflects American pressure or European inaction, Whitaker said, ‘This is ultimately an issue between the United States, Denmark and Greenland.’

Whitaker said Greenland’s importance has been clear for years as the ice melts, it reshapes the Arctic and opens new routes. ‘The security of the high north, which I’ve talked about a lot before this ever happened, is the most important issue,’ he said. ‘As the ice thaws and as routes open up in the Arctic, Arctic security, and therefore the security of Greenland, which is the northern flank of the continental United States, is crucial.’

He stressed that Greenland’s location makes it central to U.S. defense planning. ‘If you think about Greenland as part of the access to the naval assets, that monitoring and awareness and fortification of that part of the Western Hemisphere is crucial for the long-term security of the United States,’ Whitaker said.

Whitaker said recent diplomacy shows the issue can be addressed without escalation. ‘I know that a very successful meeting happened between the Danes and Greenland and Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Rubio, so I think it’s going to be constructive,’ he said.

Still, he cautioned European allies against inflaming tensions. ‘Europe sometimes has a tendency to overreact anytime that an issue is put out on the table,’ Whitaker said. ‘This is one of those things where cooler heads need to prevail.’

US COMMANDER SAYS RUSSIA AND CHINA’S ARCTIC PATROLS ARE ‘NOT FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES’

NATO, deterrence and the ‘Reagan spirit’

Speaking from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Whitaker used Reagan’s ‘peace through strength’ doctrine as justification for pushing NATO allies to spend more and move faster.

‘The most important thing that we’re doing at NATO is, one, the United States is strong. Nobody denies that. We have demonstrated through Midnight Hammer, through what we did in Venezuela and elsewhere, that the United States is capable and can project power. We want all of our allies inside of NATO to be equally as strong, and they’re not at this point in time,’ he said.

He added, ‘Some of them have certainly become more capable, and that’s why you can’t just paint with a broad brush when it comes to all of our NATO allies. But there are some that are not.’

‘Europe and the EU are going to have to untie their hands from behind their back,’ he continued. ‘They’re going to have to deregulate, they are going to have to find more capital and economic growth, because at the end of the day, that’s what’s going to allow them to live up to the promises they’ve made to increase their defense spending and therefore their defense capabilities.’

He said, ‘One of the things that I’m talking about constantly with our friends downtown in the EU,’ Whitaker added, ‘is that they have to get their economy going, and there are proven, tried-and-true ways to do it.’

Whitaker said his top priority is ensuring NATO allies follow through on the major defense commitments agreed to last year in The Hague.

‘This is number one on my list right now,’ he said, ‘making sure that the political commitments we made in The Hague turn into real military capabilities at NATO.’

He said proximity to Russia has shaped how seriously countries take the threat.

‘You look at the Baltic countries like Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, and you look at the Nordic countries… they’re very aware of the threats that Russia [poses],’ Whitaker said, citing Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Poland, he added, stands out. ‘Poland is clear-eyed,’ Whitaker said. ‘They’re gonna spend over 5% on core defense in the coming year or two.’

Others, he said, are still lagging. ‘I keep a dashboard, a one-page dashboard on my desk that is updated regularly,’ Whitaker said. ‘It’s too soon to tell.’ ‘It has to be on capabilities,’ he said. ‘It has to make them stronger, ready to fight tonight.’

‘President Trump announced a $1.5 trillion defense budget,’ Whitaker said. ‘We’ve demonstrated our capabilities that nobody else can match right now.’

‘I’m here at the Reagan Library, and it reminds me, Ronald Reagan really was able to put those policies in place to spur growth,’ Whitaker said. ‘President Trump certainly has followed that same tradition, to unleash the American entrepreneur, unleash American innovation, and get out of the way, get the regulations out of the way so that American companies can grow and prosper.’

As NATO moves forward, Whitaker said pressure on allies will remain. ‘We’re asking our European and Canadian allies to do more,’ he said. ‘So far, so good.’

Hunter Biden’s ex has reopened a 2019 paternity suit in Arkansas, alleging that the former first son hasn’t followed through on his child support obligations and claiming he ‘ghosted’ their daughter, Navy Joan Roberts.  

Lawyers for Lunden Roberts wrote in the new motion filed Tuesday that, in getting his child support payments reduced, Biden had agreed to give their daughter a ‘specified number of paintings he had created and that she had selected,’ court documents obtained by Fox News Digital said.

Lunden said the agreement was made because the paintings might carry monetary value due to his fame, and she considered it a way for him to bond with his daughter over their shared love of art.

When Roberts ‘gave Mr. Biden artwork by the parties’ daughter that the child had specifically created for her father’ after showing up unannounced at a past deposition, the ‘simple, pure act of love brought Mr. Biden to tears and was the sui generis of his idea for he and [his daughter] to ‘bond over [their] shared love of art,” the documents claimed.

That arrangement brought her family ‘joy’ because her daughter had ‘desperately longed for, talked about, and dreamed of a relationship with her father,’ the motion claimed.

His daughter had even allegedly said she ‘‘could not wait to get to heaven’ so she could ‘be with [her] dad’ because her dad does not see or talk to her because her dad ‘lives far away and is really busy’.’

Biden and his daughter began to bond, the motion claimed, but he quickly ‘ghosted’ her after Roberts wrote a memoir in 2024 about her relationship with him, but she didn’t ‘disparage’ him in it. 

She now believes his sentiment was for the purpose of getting his child support payments lowered.

Despite getting upset at a wedding when she realized ‘that her dad would not walk her down the aisle or dance with her at her own wedding reception,’ the motion claimed that Biden’s daughter is ‘grateful’ for how much he loves her half-brother, Beau Biden, Jr., whom Biden shares with his current wife.

He also shares three older children with his first wife. 

The little girl has even ‘defended the reputation of her grandfather, former President Joe Biden, against bullies,’ the motion claimed.

‘Ms. Roberts has reached out to Mr. Biden numerous times about [their daughter] asking to speak with him, but the defendant, in classic, classless form, refuses to respond,’ the documents said.

And while Biden has given her some paintings, the motion claims that his daughter hasn’t been able to pick out any herself, which was allegedly part of the child support agreement.

The motion urged the court to force Biden to ‘communicate with his child’ and to jail him ‘as a civil penalty until he purges his contempt by complying with this court’s orders.’

Her lawyers noted that Biden’s four other children live a lifestyle ‘above that of the average American,’ including their daughter.

‘It is axiomatic that no one can force Mr. Biden into being a good dad for [his daughter], but this court can make it so that [his daughter] has, at least, the same level of support as [her] younger half-brother,’ the motion added.

Biden first denied he was Navy’s father until a court ordered him to take a paternity test in 2019.

The 55-year-old was also convicted in a felony gun case last year for illegally owning a gun while using drugs, but he was pardoned by his father before he left office.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Biden’s lawyer for comment. 

President Donald Trump is celebrating an increase in funding for healthcare focused particularly on rural communities across the country, a move was made possible by cutting ‘waste, fraud and abuse from Medicaid.’

‘As part of the Great Big Beautiful Bill, we’ve increased … funding for the healthcare by an unprecedented $50 billion. That’s rural healthcare. Nobody thought that was going to happen,’ Trump said during a roundtable Friday.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act directs half of the rural health funding to be distributed evenly among all 50 states, with the remaining funds allocated based on state-specific factors, including the condition of rural hospitals.

‘We increased funding for rural health care by an unprecedented, record-setting $50 billion over five years, which will benefit Americans in all 50 states, and this was made possible by cutting massive waste, fraud and abuse from Medicaid and reinvesting those funds to revitalize hospitals in our cherished rural communities,’ he added.

The roundtable, which included Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz, was aimed at promoting the Trump administration’s Great Healthcare Plan, which was announced during a White House press briefing Thursday.

Some have described the proposal as an effort by Trump to shape Republican messaging ahead of the 2026 midterm elections as the party tries to hold onto its slim majorities in the House and Senate.

In its fact sheet on the plan, the White House highlighted several main points, including lowering drug prices, lowering insurance premiums, holding insurance companies accountable and maximizing price transparency. Trump touched on several of the elements of the plan during the roundtable and said that hospitals that accept Medicaid and Medicare will be required to prominently post prices so that patients are aware of the cost of their care.

During the roundtable Friday, Trump implored Congress to enact the Great Healthcare Plan, but the president said he was confident Republicans would back it.

President Donald Trump signaled why he’s held off on military strikes on Iran amid nationwide protests after claiming the country had canceled executions for hundreds of Iranians. 

When asked if Arab and Israeli officials ‘convinced’ him to not strike Iran, Trump told reporters Friday he convinced himself and cited the canceled hangings. Trump also expressed similar sentiments on social media Friday. 

‘I greatly respect the fact that all scheduled hangings, which were to take place yesterday (Over 800 of them), have been cancelled by the leadership of Iran. Thank you!’ Trump said in a post on Truth Social Friday. 

The statement echoes what White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday about the canceled executions. She maintained that all options remained on the table when it comes to dealing with Iran.

‘What I will say with respect to Iran is that the president and his team have communicated to the Iranian regime that if the killing continues, there will be grave consequences,’ Leavitt told reporters Thursday. 

‘And the president received a message as he revealed to all of you and the whole world yesterday that the killing and the executions will stop. And the president understands today that 800 executions that were scheduled and supposed to take place yesterday were halted.’ 

It’s unclear from Trump’s post if he was referring to the 800 executions that were already canceled or whether there have been two consecutive days when 800 executions have been called off. 

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital on how many executions have been canceled or whether military strikes are completely off the table now. 

Fox News Digital reached out to a spokesperson for the Islamic Republic of Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations for additional comment but did not immediately receive a reply.

Protests broke out across Iran in December 2025 in response to the country’s economic hardships as well as a referendum against Iran’s theocratic regime.

More than 2,000 people — including at least nine children — have died in the recent protests, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported Tuesday. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado on Friday issued a warning to the Trump administration that interim Venezuela President Delcy Rodríguez does not represent the views of the people.

‘I want to insist on this: Delcy Rodriguez, yes, she’s a communist. She’s the main ally and representation of the Russian regime, the Chinese and the Iranians, but that’s not the Venezuelan people and that’s not the armed forces, as well,’ Machado said while addressing a crowd at an event organized by the Heritage Foundation. 

Machado said that the situation was complex as allies of Nicolás Maduro continued to do ‘dirty work’ after his capture by the U.S. on Jan. 3. However, the opposition leader said that she is ‘profoundly confident’ that there will be an orderly transition of power.

‘This is a complex place we are right now. Some of the dirty work is being done by them, but then the result of a stable transition will be a proud Venezuela, who is going to be the best ally the United States has ever had in the Americas,’ she said.

The opposition leader’s comments came amid reports that CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Rodriguez in Caracas.

Ratcliffe and Rodriguez reportedly discussed intelligence cooperation, economic stability and the need to ensure that Venezuela would no longer be a ‘safe haven for America’s adversaries.’ 

On Wednesday, Rodriguez, a Maduro ally who served as his vice president, announced that the government would continue the release of political prisoners detained under Maduro in an initiative she touted as a ‘new political moment,’ according to The Associated Press.

Just days before Rodriguez made the announcement, the interim government freed at least four U.S. citizens detained in Venezuela, marking the first known release of American prisoners since Maduro was ousted in a U.S. military operation earlier this month.

While speaking at the Heritage Foundation event, the opposition leader vowed that Venezuela would become ‘the best ally the United States has ever had in the Americas.’ Machado said that she believes Venezuelans are cohesive and joined by shared values but have been forced by the regime to make difficult choices and suffer severe hardships.

Following the capture of Maduro on Jan. 3, President Donald Trump said that the U.S. would ‘run’ Venezuela temporarily, though he did not detail further plans regarding transfers of power.

Trump, who met with Machado on Thursday, has yet to back the opposition leader and has even expressed doubts about the amount of support she has among the people of Venezuela. Despite not having his clear support, Machado praised Trump and emphasized the critical role that he and his administration would play in the future of Venezuela.

‘The only thing I want to assure the Venezuelans people is that Venezuela is going to be free and that’s going to be achieved with the support of the people of the United States and the president, Donald Trump of the United States,’ Machado told the crowd at the Heritage Foundation event.

She also commented early in her remarks that the Venezuelan people were grateful for Trump and his team’s historic mission to capture Maduro. Machado said that it ‘took a lot of courage’ to pull off the operation.

Exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi unveiled Friday a 6-step plan to exert pressure on the regime, which he declared ‘will fall, not if, but when.’ 

‘My brave compatriots still holding the line with their broken bodies but unbreakable will, need your urgent help right now. Make no mistake, however, the Islamic Republic is close to collapse,’ Pahlavi declared.  

‘Ali Khamenei and his thugs know this. That’s why they are lashing out like a wounded animal, desperate to cling to power,’ he continued. ‘The people have not retreated. Their determination has made one thing clear. They are not merely rejecting this regime. They are demanding a credible new path forward. They have called for me to lead.’ 

Pahlavi said he has a comprehensive plan for an orderly transition and asked the international community to do six things, starting with protecting the Iranian people ‘by degrading the regime’s repressive capacity, including targeting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard leadership and its command-and-control infrastructure.’ 

‘Second, deliver and sustain maximum economic pressure on the regime, block their assets worldwide, target and dismantle their fleet of ghost [oil] tankers,’ he said. 

‘Third, break through the regime’s information blockade by enabling unrestricted internet access. Deploy Starlink and other secure communications tools widely across Iran and conduct cyber operations to disable the regime’s ability to shut down the internet. Fourth, hold the regime accountable by expelling its diplomats from your capitals and pursue legal enforcement actions against those responsible for crimes against humanity,’ Pahlavi continued. 

‘Fifth, demand the immediate release of all political prisoners. Six, prepare for a democratic transition in Iran by committing to recognize a legitimate transitional government when the moment comes,’ he concluded.

Pahlavi’s remarks came as President Donald Trump seemed to remain ambivalent about the possibility of Pahlavi taking over the country if the Islamic regime were to fall. 

‘He seems very nice, but I don’t know how he’d play within his own country,’ Trump told Reuters during an interview on Wednesday. ‘And we really aren’t up to that point yet. 

‘I don’t know whether or not his country would accept his leadership, and certainly if they would, that would be fine with me,’ he added. 

When Pahlavi was asked Friday by a reporter about how he plans to win Trump over, he said, ‘President Trump has said that it’s up to the Iranian people to decide, and I totally agree.’

‘I’ve always said it’s for the Iranian people to decide. And I think the Iranian people have already demonstrated in great numbers who it is that they want them to lead to this transition,’ he added. ‘So I’m confident that I have the support of my compatriot. And as for the international leaders to assess the fact on the ground and see who is capable of doing that. I believe I can, and I have the Iranian people’s support.’ 

Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf contributed to this report. 

CIA Director John Ratcliffe was in Venezuela’s capital of Caracas Thursday to meet with acting President Delcy Rodríguez and other top officials, a U.S. official told Fox News Friday. 

The meeting unfolded about two weeks after the Trump administration carried out a military operation capturing Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. 

A U.S. official told Reuters Ratcliffe met with Rodriguez under the direction of President Donald Trump ‘to deliver the message that the United States looks forward to an improved working relationship.’ 

The two discussed intelligence sharing, economic stability and the need to guarantee that Venezuela is no longer a ‘safe haven for America’s adversaries, especially narco-traffickers,’ Reuters added.

On Wednesday, Trump said he had a call with Rodríguez and later described her as a ‘terrific’ person. 

‘This morning I had a very good call with the Interim President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez. We are making tremendous progress, as we help Venezuela stabilize and recover,’ Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. 

‘Many topics were discussed, including Oil, Minerals, Trade and, of course, National Security. This partnership between the United States of America and Venezuela will be a spectacular one FOR ALL. Venezuela will soon be great and prosperous again, perhaps more so than ever before!’ 

The same day, Rodríguez announced her government will continue to release prisoners detained under the rule of Maduro in an initiative she touted as a ‘new political moment,’ according to The Associated Press. 

Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancey and Bonny Chu contributed to this report. 

UNRWA officials urged congressional staffers to oppose a potential Trump administration move to designate the U.N. agency as a foreign terrorist organization, and discussed UNRWA’s ongoing operations in Gaza and the West Bank, including cash-based assistance, during a Dec. 17 briefing, Fox News Digital has learned.

The video conference was organized by UNRWA USA, the American nonprofit that supports the agency through advocacy and fundraising. UNRWA USA Executive Director Mara Kronenfeld opened the briefing by saying the goal was to make clear that UNRWA ‘is still on the ground’ in Gaza and the West Bank despite what she described as ‘the Netanyahu government’s insidious efforts to systematically prevent UNRWA from continuing its life-saving humanitarian work.’

During the meeting, briefers also raised reports that the U.S. government was considering designating UNRWA as a foreign terrorist organization and discussed with congressional offices what steps could be taken to ‘help prevent that and support UNRWA in its critical work,’ according to meeting details reviewed by Fox News Digital.

Bill Deere, UNRWA’s director in Washington, said ‘press reports appear to be true’ that the administration was considering a foreign terrorist organization designation for the agency.

‘This would be unprecedented for a U.N. agency to consider this. It is certainly unwarranted,’ Deere said, asserting that ‘four separate independent investigations’ dispute Israel’s allegations regarding UNRWA’s workforce. 

Deere urged congressional offices to respond forcefully.

‘You can loudly express your displeasure,’ Deere said, arguing that the ramifications would extend beyond UNRWA and set a precedent affecting the broader U.N. system.

‘If they go ahead and do this, our recourse with regard to this is limited,’ he said, adding that one step that could be taken is that ‘Congress can override the designation.’

The meeting featured UNRWA field leadership describing conditions and operations in Gaza and the West Bank.

Sam Rose, director of UNRWA affairs in Gaza, told participants that international staff were not entering Gaza because of the Israeli Knesset legislation, and that operations were being managed remotely.

Rose said that despite claims that UNRWA has been blocked, the agency’s services in Gaza haven’t stopped for a single day, pointing to primary healthcare, education, water and sanitation work, shelter operations and the use of UNRWA facilities as emergency shelters.

Rose also described the agency’s ability to operate programs that do not rely on immediate supply deliveries.

‘Cash assistance and job creation programs are also able to continue,’ he said and added, ‘we’re able to operate at scale.’

Roland Friedrich, introduced as director of UNRWA affairs in the West Bank, described UNRWA’s scale in the territory, including education, healthcare and assistance programs. He said UNRWA provides support to hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees, including aid that ‘can be cash assistance,’ along with other forms such as food vouchers and social protection payments.

Friedrich also described ‘cash for rent’ assistance for displaced people, and argued that UNRWA’s presence plays a stabilizing role across multiple countries in the region.

The officials also discussed workarounds that allow UNRWA to keep operating under restrictions.

Rose said UNRWA was still able to receive fuel and that certain coordination occurred through third parties, describing indirect engagement involving U.N. channels. He said fuel could run power generators and water pumps and emphasized the importance of keeping basic services running.

On aid flows, Rose said Israel was reporting truck numbers that reached 600 per day, and he said he did not have reason to doubt the overall count. At the same time, he argued that the mix of goods entering had shifted, with commercial supplies playing a larger role while certain humanitarian items remained restricted for U.N. agencies. He described what he called a two-tier system, where some items blocked from U.N. use could enter through private channels.

Beyond the operational discussion, the briefing included explicit advocacy aimed at congressional offices.

Kronenfeld urged participants to support legislation described in the meeting as the UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act of 2025, and she thanked offices already backing efforts to restore U.S. funding, describing the United States as historically UNRWA’s largest donor before the funding halt in 2024.

UNRWA USA did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Fox News Digital. UNRWA also did not respond.

William Deere, director of the UNRWA Representative Office in Washington, D.C., provided the following statement in response to a request for comment from Fox News Digital:

‘UNRWA participates in briefings hosted by the UNRWA USA National Committee and attended by bicameral groups of Republican and Democratic staff from Capitol Hill, as well as think tanks and nongovernmental organizations. Briefings like these are important opportunities for the Agency to respond to the government of Israel’s ongoing disinformation campaign suggesting that UNRWA is no longer actively working in Gaza. Quite the opposite is true. Every day, UNRWA staff are delivering critical services in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. In fact, in a recent letter to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, UNRWA thanked President Trump for negotiating the ceasefire, which allows the world to turn to Gaza’s future.’

Deere added: ‘In Gaza, UNRWA medical personnel deliver 40 percent of primary healthcare and play a critical role in distributing water, promoting public health through immunization campaigns, pest control, nutrition screenings, and the disposal of solid waste. UNRWA is also leading the way in Gaza education, stepping up its ‘back to learning’ program, with almost 70,000 children now accessing the Agency’s in-person learning activities. The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is also a challenging area in which to work, especially given the various laws approved by the Israeli Knesset, and policymakers are always interested to hear the impacts of these laws firsthand from our experts.’