Court rejects activist lawsuit exploiting Gaza war while Israel defends itself from Hamas terror.
A US federal court has dismissed a lawsuit attempting to force Washington into emergency evacuations from Gaza, reinforcing that foreign policy decisions cannot be dictated by activist litigation targeting Israel’s defensive war.
Chief Judge Virginia Kendall of the US District Court ruled that courts lack authority to manage sensitive diplomatic and military decisions reserved for the Executive Branch. While acknowledging the hardship claimed by plaintiffs, she stressed the judiciary has neither the tools nor mandate to coordinate evacuations from an active combat zone controlled by terror groups.
The lawsuit, filed by nine Palestinian Arab Americans, accused the US government of discrimination for not evacuating them from the Gaza Strip during Israel’s war against Hamas. Plaintiffs claimed food shortages, medical collapse, and psychological distress created a legal obligation for evacuation—arguments the court firmly rejected.
Judge Kendall noted clear evidence that evacuation plans existed and that all plaintiffs were either already evacuated or declined options that excluded extended family members. The ruling underscored a reality critics often ignore: Gaza’s dangers stem from Hamas embedding itself among civilians, not from Israeli policy.
The case originally targeted former US leaders and continued against current officials, including Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, and Pete Hegseth. Legal representation came from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, long criticized for political advocacy hostile to Israel.
Supporters of Israel say the ruling prevents US courts from being weaponized to undermine Israel’s right to defeat terrorism and stops Arab-aligned legal activism from rewriting the consequences of Hamas-initiated war.
