A federal lawsuit has been filed in the US against Iran, Syria, and North Korea on behalf of 125 victims of the October 7 Hamas terror attack, seeking at least $4 billion in damages. The lawsuit, organized by the Anti-Defamation League and Crowell & Moring LLP, alleges that the three countries provided material support to Hamas, enabling the attack that killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.

The plaintiffs, including US citizens injured in the attack and relatives of those killed, accuse the three countries of providing financial, military, and tactical support to Hamas. The US government has designated Iran, Syria, and North Korea as state sponsors of terrorism.

Nahar Neta, a plaintiff who lost her mother in the attack, said, “While nothing will ever undo the unbearable pain Hamas caused our family or the brutal losses we’ve suffered, we hope this case will bring some sense of justice… My mom devoted her life to caring for others regardless of race or religious beliefs. She was a peace and justice seeker who was active in many civilian efforts to bridge the gap between Jews and Arabs in Israel.”

The lawsuit seeks at least $1 billion in compensatory damages and $3 billion in punitive damages. However, it is common for countries accused of state-sponsored terrorism to ignore lawsuits in the US and not honor judgments against them in US courts.

If the defendants are found liable, the plaintiffs hope to tap the US Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, which Congress created in 2015 to compensate individuals who have won judgments against state sponsors of terrorism. However, the fund has run low, prompting several members of Congress to introduce legislation to enhance funding and guarantee annual payments to victims.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)