Israeli Family Sues UNRWA for NIS 24 Million Over Oct. 7 Victim's Body

2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 6

Nitsana Darshan-Leitner filed a Jerusalem court suit seeking NIS 24 million, alleging UNRWA workers took 21-year-old Yonatan Samerano’s body into Gaza after he was killed on Oct. 7, 2023.
625 days after Samerano’s body was taken, it was returned to his family; the suit argues UNRWA then failed to reveal its location or cooperate with Israeli authorities.
The case hinges on immunity: Darshan-Leitner says Israel’s December law stripping UNRWA’s diplomatic protections allows the claim, while the U.N. says the agency’s immunity still flows from the U.N. Charter and remains in force.
UNRWA asked for a 45-day extension to file its defense, as the lawsuit lands amid a wider fight over the agency’s future role in Gaza and donor support.
That broader dispute has sharpened with some governments halting funding and U.S.-backed Gaza planners saying UNRWA should have no future role, even as António Guterres calls it a critical stabilizing presence.