One was held hostage by Hamas inside Gaza. Several of them survived the attack on 7 October. A total of 100 Israelis have now sued the UN’s aid organization for Palestinian refugees in the Middle East (UNRWA). They believe the organization made the attack possible. The lawsuit was sent to a federal court in New York on Monday, writes The New York Times. – These attempts to weaken UNRWA have serious consequences, says Norwegian diplomat Leni Stenseth. She was deputy head of the organization from 2020 to 2023, and among the seven current and former top representatives of UNRWA who are the defendants in the lawsuit. – Not only for those inside Gaza who receive emergency aid from the organization now, but also for the between three and four million Palestinian refugees in the region who receive aid and health care from them, says Stenseth. The Norwegian diplomat Leni Stenseth is to blame in the lawsuit against UNRWA. – It is important to point out that this lawsuit is not an isolated incident, says Stenseth. Photo: Red Cross – Want to weaken UNRWA Stenseth sees this as an example of a politically motivated campaign – which aims to weaken UNRWA, and underlines that there is no substance in the claims. – It is important to state that this lawsuit is not an isolated incident, she says, referring to other lawsuits against UNRWA. – This is an organization that has existed for 75 years with an interim mandate: Provide assistance and basic health services as long as Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories continues. That mandate has been renewed every three years since 1949. In that way, UNRWA is part of the political game in the conflict, says Stenseth. The diplomat left UNRWA just before the attack on 7 October to start his current position as head of expedition in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A boy with a bicycle walks across the ruins of UNRWA’s headquarters in Gaza this week. Photo: Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP Money from Manhattan to the Middle East For several years, UNRWA has sent several million US dollars a month from New York to the Gaza Strip. They have gone to pay employees and support hospitals, schools and other infrastructure. The Asma school in Gaza City was funded by UNRWA and was bombed last night. Photo: Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP The claim in the lawsuit is that UNRWA employees inside Gaza have exchanged their salaries, paid out in dollars, for Israeli shekels with money changers linked to Hamas. The money changers are said to have taken part of the funds and used them to finance their military operations. The claim is that the UNRWA employees were aware that Hamas got hold of over 10 billion UNRWA kroner and used it to pay for equipment for tunnels and weapons. The lawsuit does not explain how they can prove that the money was used to finance the attack on 7 October. There are also no details that can support the claim that Hamas controls the currency exchange in Gaza, writes the New York Times. UNRWA contributed with, among other things, food and medicine to the many Palestinians who are refugees in Gaza. The G7 countries believe that this support must be allowed to flow without obstacles. Photo: OMAR AL-QATTAA / AFP Not the first lawsuit against UNRWA UNRWA has been sued several times since the attack on 7 October. In January, eight countries suspended aid to the organization after Israel submitted claims that 450 of 13,000 UNRWA employees were linked to Hamas, and that 19 of them participated in the terrorist attack. Most countries took up support after the first claim was rejected by an independent investigation committee. An independent investigative committee found no evidence from Israel that UNRWA staff are linked to terrorism. But they believe that several UNRWA employees in positions “with influence” are too clear about their political opinions. Photo: Mohammad Zaatari / AP The internal investigation body OIOS is still investigating the second claim. But the organization is still in a deep financial crisis. At the latest yesterday, UNRWA head Philip Lazzarini, who was also sued on Monday, issued a plea to the international community: – Israel has long been critical of our mandate. Now they are trying to stop UNRWA’s operations and remove its status as a UN agency, a status that is supported by an overwhelming majority of member states. Philippe Lazzarini is head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). Photo: Reuters Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide has also been out and urged the world to support UNRWA. When Lazzarini visited Oslo last week, the government announced that Norway would increase support by NOK 100 million. This is in addition to the support of NOK 275 million that Noreg Allerei has given this year. Press conference on Norway’s support for UNRWA last week, with Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide (AP), UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini and Development Minister Anne Beathe Tvinnereim (Sp). Photo: Fredrik Varfjell / NTB Several legal obstacles Juliette Touma, a spokesperson for UNRWA, said on Monday that UN representatives at a certain level receive immunity from legal proceedings. This also applies to those who work for UNRWA. It may be the first obstacle for the Israeli claimants. They have tried to get around it by suing the UNRWA representatives in an American federal court. It is because they have an office in New York and have collected money there and used banks in the city, write The New York Times. The lawyers leading the lawsuit also say that the so-called Alien Tort statutes open the way for non-Americans to sue in such courts. Published 25.06.2024, at 21.53 Updated 25.06.2024, at 22.15
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100 Israelis sue Norwegian diplomat in UNRWA for complicity in the Hamas attack on 7 October – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
