Obama Judge Tosses Case Shielding UN Agency Tied To Hamas Terror

A federal judge appointed by Barack Obama has tossed out a blockbuster lawsuit accusing the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) of enabling Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre in Israel.

U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres dismissed the $1 billion case brought in New York by roughly 100 Israeli plaintiffs, including survivors, bereaved families, and even a former hostage. The suit alleged UNRWA directly bolstered Hamas by funneling cash and logistical support that propped up its terror infrastructure.

Torres ruled that UNRWA, as a subsidiary of the U.N., enjoys sweeping immunity from U.S. lawsuits. “Because UNRWA is a subsidiary organ of the United Nations and has not waived its immunity, this court lacks subject matter jurisdiction,” she wrote.

That decision flatly contradicted the Trump administration’s Department of Justice, which earlier this year argued in a legal brief that UNRWA should not be immune. Trump’s DOJ insisted the agency “played a significant role in the heinous offenses” of October 7, pointing to cash transfers and aid that were easily siphoned into Hamas’s war chest. The filing emphasized that immunity for international organizations is not automatic and rests on U.S. sovereignty, not foreign grace.

The plaintiffs argued UNRWA knowingly pumped U.S. dollars into Hamas’s hands — by paying staff in cash that had to be exchanged through Hamas-linked money changers, creating a revenue stream for weapons and explosives.

Controversy around the agency exploded last year when nine UNRWA employees were fired after an internal probe concluded they may have directly participated in the October 7 massacre.

Under Biden, however, the DOJ reverted to the old position that UNRWA is shielded by international law and diplomatic immunity — a stance that Judge Torres has now affirmed, shutting down one of the most significant legal efforts to hold the U.N. to account for its ties to Hamas.