Trump Administration Removes Immunity for Palestinian Refugee Agency

The Trump administration has reversed the US's longstanding stance that the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, is immune from lawsuits. This shift comes amid allegations linking the agency to Hamas. A federal lawsuit claims UNRWA aided Hamas during the October 2023 attack on Israel.

The Trump administration has taken a significant legal stance by declaring that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) is not immune to litigation. This move overturns the US government's previously held position that the agency, which provides support to Palestinian refugees, was shielded from lawsuits.

This legal reversal was disclosed in a letter filed by the Justice Department in a New York federal court. The decision is part of ongoing litigation by victims of an October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas, where allegations suggest UNRWA staff may have contributed to the violence by allowing military activities on its premises.

UNRWA has categorically denied these allegations, stating that it is an integral subsidiary of the United Nations and legally protected from such claims. Nevertheless, the Justice Department argues that UNRWA must now respond to these accusations in American courts, reflecting a hardened stance from the Trump administration.

(With inputs from agencies.)