A group of about 200 victims of Hamas and Hezbollah attacks, including American citizens, have filed a lawsuit against UNRWA, the UN agency that helps Palestinian refugees
The lawsuit, filed in US federal court, accuses UNRWA of supporting terrorism.
Attorney Richard Heideman, who represents the victims and their families, told JNS that UNRWA presents itself as a humanitarian organization but illegally collaborates with Hamas, a group considered a terrorist organization.
He asserted that the idea that Hamas offers “humanitarian” or “charitable” services is a lie that many countries ignore.
“Hamas is a terrorist organization as dangerous as the Islamic State,” Heideman said.
According to the lawsuit, about 13% of Hamas’s $2.5 billion annual budget comes from UNRWA.
Furthermore, many of the agency’s employees are also members of the terrorist group.
The document alleges that UNRWA does not deny that some of its employees directly participated in the October 7, 2023, attacks, although it attempts to downplay the severity of the attack, saying it was the work of a few rogue employees, not an official decision by the organization.
The victims include people attacked by Hamas and Hezbollah since 2015, most notably the October 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel.
One example cited in the lawsuit is that of Shachar Deborah Troen Mathias and her husband, Shlomi David Mathias, who were brutally murdered by Hamas in their home in Kibbutz Holit, a small community in Israel.
The couple’s son, Rotem Eliyahu Mathias, was also injured in the same attack.
The 38-page lawsuit details other attacks and describes the suffering of the victims.
He seeks damages under US anti-terrorism laws, such as the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, against both UNRWA and its US subsidiary, UNRWA USA.
Normally, the UN and its agencies enjoy immunity from lawsuits due to international agreements.
However, Heideman argues that this protection does not apply to UNRWA.
He explains that, unlike other parts of the UN, such as the General Assembly or the Security Council, UNRWA is not legally guaranteed immunity, as it was created after the founding of the UN and is not explicitly covered by these agreements.
During the Biden administration, the US Department of Justice argued that UNRWA had immunity.
However, the Trump administration reevaluated this position and, in April, declared that the agency should not be considered an essential part of the UN and, therefore, is not entitled to immunity.
The lawsuit also criticizes UNRWA for failing to resettle Palestinian refugees and for considering all their descendants as refugees forever, which, according to Heideman, prolongs the conflict.
He claims the agency spreads the false idea that there are 6.2 million Palestinian refugees, maintaining refugee camps without humanitarian justification.
“These people have the right to freedom and resettlement, but the Palestinian Authority does not allow this, using the refugees to blame Israel,” he stated.
Heideman concludes that UNRWA must be held accountable for failing in its mission to help refugees and for instead supporting terrorism, promoting hatred and praising acts of violence.
Published in 08/08/2025 03h25
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
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