Canadian families who lost loved ones in the October 7 massacre, alongside the Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), have filed a request for judicial review in Canada's federal court, according to a report released by the CIJA on Thursday.

This move coincided with reports of Canada's decision to resume funding for UNRWA earlier in March. In the report, the families stated that this action violates Canadian law.

UNRWA should be ineligible for funding, impacted families plead

While recognizing the need for humanitarian aid in Gaza, the application states that UNRWA’s allocation of funds is largely unethical and should be ineligible for funding. According to Canadian law, funding can only be allocated to organizations upholding Canadian values and international human rights standards. 

Many of the released hostages have stated that they were held in the houses of UNRWA workers and teachers in Gaza after being kidnapped from Israel.

As such, due to UNRWA's documented ties to Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization under Canadian law, resuming funding to UNRWA constitutes a violation of Canada's anti-terrorism legislation.

Some of the family members that have chosen to take this legal action include Dikla Mizrahi, the mother of Ben Mizrahi, Iris Liniado, the daughter of Judith Weinstein Haggai, Jacqui Vital, the mother of Adi Vital-Kaploun, and Raquel Ohnona, the mother of Alexandre Look.

In a joint statement, the family representatives said, “Our families are appalled and sickened by the decision of the Canadian government to reinstate funding to UNRWA given its ties and support of the terrorism that took our loved ones’ lives.”

Members of the CIJA’s legal task force, Canadian human rights lawyer Lawrence Greenspon and co-counsel Jillian Siskind, led the legal proceedings.

In compliance with Canadian federal court rules, they have up to 30 days to submit their application.