Judge Dismisses $1B UNRWA Suit; Plaintiffs Will Appeal

U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres dismissed a lawsuit by about 100 Israeli plaintiffs seeking more than $1 billion against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), finding the agency immune as a subsidiary organ of the United Nations and that the court therefore lacks subject-matter jurisdiction. The case, Estate of Tamar Kedem Simon Tov v. UNRWA, accused the agency and some officials of aiding and abetting Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack, alleging that paying local staff in U.S. dollars funneled cash to Hamas through money changers and that UNRWA facilities were used for military purposes. The ruling contradicts a recent Trump‑era Justice Department brief that argued UNRWA was not entitled to immunity. Plaintiffs’ lawyers say they will appeal, calling the opinion erroneous. The decision highlights a split in U.S. government views on immunity for international organizations and leaves unresolved questions about accountability and the implications for future suits against U.N. organs.