Israelis Sue UN Agency for $1 Billion Over Aiding, Abetting October 7 Hamas Attack

In a significant legal move, dozens of Israelis have filed a lawsuit against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), accusing it of aiding and abetting the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. 

The complaint, lodged with the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, alleges that UNRWA spent over a decade helping Hamas build the "terror infrastructure" and personnel necessary for the attack.

The plaintiffs, who include 101 survivors of the attack and relatives of those killed, are seeking unspecified damages. 

They claim that UNRWA's actions violated international law and the federal Torture Victim Protection Act by aiding and abetting Hamas' genocide, crimes against humanity, and torture. 

The lawsuit also names several current and former UNRWA officials, including its commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini, as defendants.

According to the complaint, UNRWA funneled more than $1 billion from a Manhattan bank account to benefit Hamas, including for weapons, explosives, and ammunition. 

The plaintiffs also accuse the agency of providing "safe harbor" to Hamas in its facilities and allowing Hamas-approved textbooks in its schools, which they claim indoctrinate Palestinian children to support violence and hatred towards Jews and Israel. 

The October 7 attack by Hamas militants resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the abduction of about 250 others, according to Israeli reports. 

In the aftermath, Israel launched an assault on the Gaza Strip, which health officials in the Hamas-ruled enclave say has killed over 37,000 Palestinians.

The lawsuit comes amid ongoing controversy over UNRWA's role and funding. 

Following the attack, several countries, including the United States, halted their funding to UNRWA based on Israel's allegations of staff involvement in the attack. 

However, an independent review authorized by the UN found that Israel had not provided evidence supporting its accusations that hundreds of UNRWA staff were members of terrorist groups.

UNRWA has stated that it takes accusations of staff misconduct seriously, having terminated 10 staff members accused by Israel of involvement in the attack, with two others having died. 

The agency, which provides schooling, healthcare, and humanitarian aid in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, is funded almost entirely by UN member states. 

In a recent statement, Philippe Lazzarini urged resistance to efforts to disband UNRWA, warning that such actions could undermine the multilateral system of international organizations. 

"If we do not push back, other U.N. entities and international organizations will be next," Lazzarini said at a meeting in Geneva.

The case, titled Estate of Kedem et al v. United Nations Relief and Works Agency et al, is being closely watched as it unfolds in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York. 

This lawsuit not only highlights the severe accusations against UNRWA but also underscores the complex and contentious nature of international aid and its potential implications in conflict zones.