The Trump administration argued in April that the UN agency and certain officials named in the suit, including Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, should not enjoy immunity.
A US judge has dismissed a lawsuit accusing the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees, UNRWA, of providing funding that enabled Hamas’ October 7, 2023 resistance operation against Israel, The New York Times reported.
Judge Analisa Torres of the Federal District Court in Manhattan ruled that the UN agency is protected by immunity as part of the United Nations, the Times said on Thursday, according to the Anadolu news agency.
A federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit that accused a #UnitedNations agency of funneling over $1 billion that allegedly helped Hamas carry out its operation on October 7, rejecting the #TrumpAdministration’s stance.
Judge Analisa Torres of the Federal District Court in… pic.twitter.com/J80cdIE13z
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 3, 2025
According to the report, the suit, filed on behalf of roughly 100 Israeli plaintiffs, including survivors of the attack, the estates of those killed, and at least one hostage, alleged that the UNRWA allowed Palestinian resistance group Hamas to divert funds for its own use.
The Trump administration argued in April that the UN agency and certain officials named in the suit, including Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, should not enjoy immunity. In a letter to the court, the Justice Department claimed the agency and its officers “must answer these allegations in American courts.”
Repeated Allegations
Last year, the previous Joe Biden administration maintained in court papers that the agency is immune from lawsuits. The judge’s ruling sided with that view.
But in April, the Trump administration wrote to the judge saying the “complaint in this case alleges atrocious conduct on the part of UNRWA and its officers,” adding the government “believes they must answer these allegations in American courts.”
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The plaintiffs claimed UNRWA paid local employees in cash and required them to convert it through Hamas-affiliated money changers, generating millions of dollars in additional revenue for the group.
A lawyer for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday, nor did a spokeswoman for the agency, the report said.
The agency has faced repeated allegations by Israel of links between its staff and “militant groups,” claims it has consistently denied, citing a lack of evidence.
Citing the allegations, though they were not substantiated, some Western politicians and countries called for defunding the UNRWA, despite the vital work it has done for decades for Palestinian refugees.
No Substantiation of List
For the claims, Israel provided a list of 100 alleged “militants” but gave no substantiation despite the UNRWA’s repeated requests.
“Agency has requested on numerous occasions for cooperation from the Government of Israel by providing information and evidence to substantiate the accusations made against UNRWA,” the agency said in a document responding to Israel’s allegations.
“To date, UNRWA has not received any response, nor has the Government of Israel shared any evidence.”
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Last year, at the request of the UN secretary-general, an independent investigation was launched by the highest investigative body in the United Nations, the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), Anadolu reported.
In the document, titled “Facts Versus Claims,” the UNRWA said the OIOS probe found no evidence in one case and insufficient evidence in nine others.
In the remaining nine cases, “the evidence obtained by OIOS – if authenticated and corroborated – might indicate that the staff members may have been involved, and their employment was terminated in the interest of UNRWA,” the document said.
Ongoing Genocide
Since reneging on the ceasefire on March 18, Israel has continued its bloody aerial bombardment across the Gaza Strip, killing and wounding thousands of Palestinians.
Starting on October 7, 2023, the Israeli military, with American support, launched a genocidal war against the people of Gaza. This campaign has so far resulted in the deaths of more than 66,000 Palestinians, with more than 168,000 wounded. The vast majority of the population has been displaced, and the destruction of infrastructure is unprecedented since World War II. Thousands of people are still missing.
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In addition to the military assault, the Israeli blockade has caused a man-made famine, leading to the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians—mostly children—with hundreds of thousands more at risk.
Despite widespread international condemnation, little has been done to hold Israel accountable. The nation is currently under investigation for genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.
(Anadolu, PC)
My US government funded Hamas, via the USAID program. Nazinyahu gave ” briefcases full of cash ” to Qatar to give to Hamas. Where did Wasrael get that cash? They’ve received, at least, $3 Billion a year in aid from my US government since 1985. They used our taxpayer’s money to fund Hamas:
but nobody talks about that…