More than 100 Israelis who were victims of the October 7 massacre filed a complaint in New York Federal Court against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The plaintiffs allege that the agency provided assistance that facilitated genocide, committed crimes against humanity, torture and rape during the terrorist attack carried out by Hamas in southern Israel.

The complaint outlines a money laundering operation orchestrated by UNRWA to fund Hamas. According to the complaint, a portion of the resources intended to help the population in the Gaza Strip ending up in the hands of the terrorist group.

The whistleblowers also claim that UNRWA allowed Hamas to dig tunnels and set up command centers under the agency's facilities, and that its employees even participated in the October 7 massacre.

Instead of receiving aid payments in the local currency (the Israeli shekel), UNRWA insisted that the money be delivered in U.S. dollars, since this is a currency that Gaza residents could not use. Along with the cost and risk of transporting $20 million a month in cash into the Strip, this program required aid recipients to pay Hamas money changers commissions of between 10% and 20% to convert their dollars into shekels.

This payment scheme reduced the real value of aid to Gaza residents by between $2,000,000 and $4,000,000 per month and increased Hamas's monthly revenues by that amount.

The dollars were also used by the terrorist group to pay smugglers and arms dealers who do not accept shekels as a form of payment.

"All that remains is to fight so that those responsible for strenghtening Hamas are held accountable"

Two of the whistleblowers, Gadi and Rauma Kedem, who lost family members during the massacre, said in statements collected by Ynet that "there is no pain in the world that compares to burying your children and grandchildren who were murdered and suffocated in their own home." They added: "All that remains is to fight so that those responsible for strengthening Hamas are held accountable."

Another whistleblower is 84-year-old Ditza Heiman, who was released by Hamas after being held hostage for 54 days. She revealed that the terrorist who held her hostage "worked as a teacher in an UNRWA school." She added that the agency "knew that it was hiring terrorists and that its funds and facilities were being used for violence." She also called it "evil and tragic" that the UN agency was engaged in radicalizing a generation of children in Gaza.

The accusations against UNRWA

According to some of the allegations stated in the complaint, UNRWA facilitated the construction of Hamas command centers, attack tunnels and subway bunkers beneath the agency's headquarters, schools, clinics and agency offices.

In addition, UNRWA allowed weapons to be stored at its headquarters, schools, medical clinics, offices, warehouses and other facilities.

The complaint states that the agency further assisted in the installation of rocket launching pads and firing positions for terrorists inside or near UNRWA schools, clinics and offices, in clear violation of international humanitarian law.

The lawsuit claims that UNRWA continues to provide substantial aid to Hamas despite the UN's objections to the allegations.