Overview

• The U.S. Department of Justice has reversed the Biden administration's policy, declaring that the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) is not immune from lawsuits in U.S. courts.
• This decision permits a $1 billion lawsuit filed by survivors and families of victims of Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack in Israel to move forward in the Southern District of New York.
• Plaintiffs accuse UNRWA of aiding Hamas through a money-laundering scheme and facilitating militant activities, including storing weapons and building tunnels beneath its facilities.
• Israeli intelligence previously revealed that at least 24 UNRWA school employees were affiliated with Hamas or Islamic Jihad, intensifying scrutiny of the agency's operations.
• The DOJ also questioned the legal foundation of UNRWA, suggesting the U.N. Charter may not authorize its establishment, further challenging its status as an international organization.