U.S. Court Grants UNRWA Immunity in Israeli Lawsuit
A U.S. judicial ruling has restored legal immunity to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), shielding it from accusations of indirectly funding Hamas.
According to The New York Times, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit claiming that UNRWA had provided over one billion dollars that allegedly enabled Hamas to carry out its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
Judge Analisa Torres of the U.S. District Court in Manhattan stated that “UNRWA is protected because it is part of the United Nations, which enjoys immunity from such lawsuits.”
The lawsuit, filed last June in the Southern District of New York, sought $1 billion in damages. It alleged that the agency supported Hamas by allowing its facilities to be used for weapons storage, tunnel and command center construction, and by channeling funds to the movement through U.S. dollar payments to its employees.
This ruling runs counter to the stance of former President Donald Trump’s administration, which argued that UNRWA should not be entitled to immunity.
In April, the U.S. Department of Justice had issued a letter asserting that UNRWA could not benefit from U.N. immunity in U.S. courts because it is not classified as a “subsidiary organ” of the United Nations under the International Organizations Immunities Act.
That position contradicted an earlier stance taken under President Joe Biden’s administration, which had recognized UNRWA’s right to claim immunity, leading to the suspension of the lawsuit.
