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Over 500 victims of the October 7 massacre filed a lawsuit Wednesday in Jerusalem District Court, seeking NIS 4.5 billion ($1.2 billion) in damages from the Palestinian Authority (PA), the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and former Palestinian Palestinian Prisoners Affairs Committee head Qadura Fares.
The plaintiffs accuse the defendants of direct and indirect responsibility for the attack and its prior planning.
Among the plaintiffs are the Akuni family from Netiv HaAsara — Ruti and Aryeh, along with their daughter Or, were murdered, the family of Ohad Yahalomi, who was laid to rest Wednesday, and Yonatan Brosh, who was wounded in his home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz while his wife, Shoshana, was murdered before his eyes.
"Our lives were shattered in an instant on October 7," Brosh said. "At 6:50 a.m., terrorists broke into our home, throwing grenades and firing as they reached our shelter, which we thought would protect us. The bullets penetrated the door, killing Shoshi and wounding me. I fully support suing those who backed and participated in crimes against innocent civilians.”
The lawsuit was prepared over the past year, during which testimonies were collected and victims were gathered at a dedicated center. Research teams in Israel and abroad investigated the attack’s planning and funding, with input from experts in security, medicine, intelligence and law.
According to the plaintiffs, the lawsuit is based on "pioneering research" alleging that the PA, the PLO and Fares — who oversaw payments to Nukhba terrorists and their families — were directly involved in preparing and financing the October 7 terrorists.
The lawsuit details alleged PA and PLO activities between 2018 and 2023, including joint training exercises in Gaza involving terror factions under the so-called "Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades." It also claims that terrorists were trained in Palestinian educational institutions run by Hamas and funded by the PA.
"The preparations and training for 'Al-Aqsa Flood' (the Palestinian name for the massacre) took place over five years and included multiple large-scale exercises across Gaza involving thousands of terrorists from various terror groups," the lawsuit read.
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"These activities required extensive logistical and governmental support from 'civilian' offices in Gaza. The funding for this support was provided by the defendants — the PA and PLO — through their budget allocations to Gaza’s 'civilian' authorities,” it added.
The plaintiffs are seeking a ruling that the PA, PLO and Fares bear direct and indirect responsibility for the massacre and should be ordered to pay NIS 4.491 billion in compensation to the victims' families and survivors. They are also demanding punitive damages for deterrence.
The lawsuit was filed by attorneys Dr. Gideon Fisher, Mordechai Haller and Shai Rubin on behalf of more than 500 plaintiffs and their families, all officially recognized as victims of terrorism who suffered physical or psychological harm from the October 7 attack and the ensuing Gaza war.
ZAKA search and rescue head Dubi Weissenstern, one of the plaintiffs, said: "Even after more than a year of war, many ZAKA volunteers and I cannot forget the horrors we saw in those first weeks. Despite our experience with disaster sites, the sheer scale, smells and nightmarish scenes deeply affected us and those around us. This lawsuit is the most justified action we can take."
Lt. Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch, a member of the expert team, added: "The PA bears no less responsibility than Hamas for the October 7 massacre. It has poisoned Palestinian society with anti-Jewish hatred, promoted the destruction of Israel and paid hundreds of millions of shekels annually to reward terrorists.
“It later provided them with international diplomatic cover. Since the PA is a driving force behind terrorism, it must be held accountable. Instead of funding terrorist salaries, it should be paying terror victims."
Attorney Dr. Gideon Fisher added: "After filing three lawsuits against terror financiers in the U.S., we have now filed the first lawsuit in Israel against the PA and other defendants for their role in the October 7 massacre and their direct and indirect responsibility for the terror originating from Gaza.
“Alongside the military efforts and the hostage rescue mission, we see it as our duty to disrupt the terror pipeline through legal action and secure justice for the victims."