US DOJ Rules: UNRWA Not Immune from Lawsuit Over October 7 Hamas Attacks

The US Department of Justice informed the Southern District Court of New York on Thursday, April 24, that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) does not possess legal immunity, signaling a major departure from previous American policy, media reported.

This statement marks a key development in a lawsuit launched last year by the families of individuals murdered or abducted during the brutal Hamas invasion of southern Israel on October 7, 2023. 

The plaintiffs accuse UNRWA of complicity in the massacre, with Israel asserting that at least 18 employees of the agency were directly involved in the assault. The legal challenge also claims that billions of dollars in aid funneled through UNRWA to Gaza were misused, alleging the funds ended up in the hands of Hamas and allied terrorist factions. 

The Justice Department acknowledged a shift in its interpretation of the law. “Previously, the government expressed the view that certain immunities shielded UNRWA from having to answer those allegations in American courts,” the filing noted. “The government has since re-evaluated that position and now concludes that UNRWA is not immune from this litigation. Nor are the bulk of other defendants.”

The government’s filing emphasized that UNRWA, although established through a UN General Assembly resolution, does not meet the legal threshold to be considered an organ of the United Nations itself. 

Furthermore, the Justice Department questioned whether the General Assembly even had the authority to create such a body under international law. (INN/VFI News)  

“It is a joy for the just to do justice, but destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.” - Proverbs 21:15