U. S. Court Says It Can't Order Gaza Evacuations

In a recent ruling, a U. S. judge dismissed a lawsuit that sought emergency evacuations for Palestinian Americans stuck in Gaza. The judge, Virginia Kendall, said she couldn't interfere with the government's foreign policy decisions, even though she understood the tough situation these people are in. The lawsuit was filed by nine Palestinian Americans. They argued that the U. S. government should have helped them escape the war zone, just like it would for other Americans. They pointed out the many hardships they face, like destroyed homes, food shortages, and poor medical care. But the judge said she couldn't figure out how to coordinate evacuations with other countries or who should be eligible.The judge also noted that the U. S. government already has an evacuation plan. She mentioned that the plaintiffs had either been evacuated or turned down offers that didn't include their immediate family members. The lawsuit was filed against several high-ranking U. S. officials, including former President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Antony Blinken. It also named their successors, Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, and Pete Hegseth. Since the start of the war, over 71, 000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory's health ministry. Meanwhile, Hamas-led militants killed about 1, 200 people and abducted 251 others in an attack on Israel. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which represents the plaintiffs, had no immediate comment. The U. S. Department of State also did not respond to requests for comment.