On Monday, more than a hundred victims and families of the deceased from Hamas terrorist attacks filed a lawsuit in the United States against Iran, Syria, and North Korea. They accused these countries of providing financial, weaponry, and other support to Hamas for carrying out the attacks, and are seeking at least $4 billion in compensation.
The Anti-Defamation League and the international law firm Crowell & Moring, in a 117-page lawsuit filed in Washington DC federal court, represent 125 plaintiffs alleging that these three countries provided funding, military, and tactical support to Hamas.
The U.S. government has designated Iran, Syria, and North Korea as state sponsors of terrorism.
The plaintiffs are seeking permanent damages compensation as stated in a statement from the Anti-Defamation League. They are looking to receive compensation from the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund established by the U.S. Congress in 2015. The fund aims to provide tangible relief to terrorism victims, such as those affected in this case, to alleviate their suffering.
This lawsuit, filed in the D.C. federal court, marks the largest-scale legal action against foreign involvement in the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7 last year, and notably, it is the first case supported by a Jewish organization.
According to Israeli statistics, the attack resulted in over 1,200 deaths and around 250 individuals being taken hostage. The plaintiffs in this case include American citizens injured on October 7 last year, as well as relatives and estate inheritors of the victims who perished in the attack.
Officials from Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry stated that Israel’s counterattacks in Gaza have led to nearly 38,000 deaths and left the region in ruins.
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, emphasized in a statement that “Iran is the primary sponsor of antisemitism and terrorism worldwide – like Syria and North Korea, they must be held accountable for their role in the largest antisemitic attack since the Holocaust.”
According to Reuters, Iran is already facing several similar lawsuits related to the October 7 terrorist attack. Countries accused of sponsoring state terrorism often disregard U.S. lawsuits and fail to comply with judgments made by U.S. courts.
Representatives from Iran, North Korea, and Syria at the United Nations in New York have not immediately responded to Reuters’ request for comment.
If the defendants are found guilty, the plaintiffs hope to utilize the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, established by the U.S. Congress in 2015, to compensate individuals successful in cases suing “state-sponsored terrorism.”
However, the fund is nearly depleted, as mentioned in the Crowell & Moring statement. In May, bipartisan legislation was introduced by New York Republican Congressman Mike Lawler and New Jersey Democratic Congressman Josh Gottheimer to address the shortfall and aid the victims.
The lawsuit filed on Monday seeks at least $10 billion in compensatory damages and $30 billion in punitive damages.