Israeli Plaintiffs Sue UNRWA Over $1 Billion Terror Funding Linked to October 7 Attacks

Jun 24, 2024, 07:17 PM

On June 24, 2024, over 100 Israeli plaintiffs, including survivors and families of the October 7th massacre victims, filed a major lawsuit against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The lawsuit alleges that UNRWA was involved in a billion-dollar money laundering operation that funded Hamas and actively participated in diverting funds meant for humanitarian aid into channels supporting terrorism. The plaintiffs claim that UNRWA hired Hamas terrorists, allowed them to operate out of its facilities, and provided them with resources. An 84-year-old Israeli woman, Ditza Heiman, testified that she was held hostage by a UNRWA teacher. The case highlights accusations against seven current and former top UNRWA officials who allegedly knew that over $1 billion was siphoned off to fund tunneling equipment and weapons for Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7th. Additionally, the lawsuit mentions that UNRWA reinstated a Hamas official who leads UNRWA's Lebanese teachers union, overseeing 39,000 students in 65 schools.