(JTA) — Over 100 victims of the Hamas massacres in Israel on Oct. 7 are taking legal action against UNRWA, the primary relief agency for Palestinian refugees and their descendants. The victims claim that UNRWA effectively laundered money for the terrorist group, marking the latest in a series of lawsuits filed in U.S. courts since the Israel-Hamas conflict began.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in the Southern District of New York, alleges that UNRWA assisted Hamas by providing the infrastructure needed for the attacks, paying Hamas activists as employees, and spreading Hamas propaganda through its educational institutions.
Ditza Heiman, one of the hostages held by terrorists, stated, “The terrorist who held me hostage for 53 days worked as a school teacher for UNRWA. The fact that Hamas controlled Gaza should not have been an excuse for UNRWA to hire and fund terrorists, but rather should have prompted extra precautions.”
UNRWA has not responded to requests for comment. Its representatives have previously accused the Israeli government and its allies of attempting to dismantle the agency to pressure Palestinians and diminish their national claims.
The plaintiffs in this case include families critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the conflict and negotiations for hostages held by Hamas.
Gadi and Reuma Kadem, who lost their children and grandchildren in the October 7 attacks, expressed their pain, stating, “All funders of Hamas — including UNRWA and its directors — are fully complicit in the murder of my children and family.”
The legal representation for the victims is MM-Law, a firm with a history of successful lawsuits against institutions profiting from terrorism and human rights abuses.
Multiple lawsuits have been filed by Oct. 7 victims against U.S. and international entities alleged to have benefited from the attacks or colluded with banned terrorist groups.
In January, a federal lawsuit was filed accusing Iran of orchestrating the attack on Israel. Another lawsuit in Florida in February implicated the Associated Press in the attacks. A separate lawsuit in Virginia alleged that American Muslim organizations were acting as propagandists for Hamas.
Last month, victims of the October 7 attacks filed a federal lawsuit against UNRWA-USA in Delaware. The aim of these legal actions is to hold accountable organizations that provide assistance to Palestinians.
This legal strategy, initiated by human rights groups in the 1980s, targets institutions with ties to terrorist groups and human rights violators, seeking redress for acts that the U.S. government may not pursue for diplomatic reasons.
In recent years, victims of Palestinian terrorism have utilized this strategy, resulting in mixed successes. Notable cases include a ruling against the Arab Bank for financing terrorism and a verdict requiring Iran and Syria to pay damages for a Hamas attack in Jerusalem.
Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, an attorney involved in these cases, is currently exploring a potential lawsuit against North Korea for indirectly supplying weapons to Hamas in response to the October 7 attacks.