Families of victims of the Hamas massacre on October 7 who hold American citizenship are suing Iran for it part in supporting the deadly attack on Israel. The victims include those who were killed, injured or suffered mental anguish due to the massacre.
The lawsuit, filed on Sunday in U.S. District Court in Washington, seeks compensatory damages under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act and Anti-Terrorism Act, the New York Times reported. It names Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine , which all appear on the U.S. list of designated foreign terrorist organizations.
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Memorial at the site of the Nova music festival massacre
(Photo: Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
Forty-six American citizens, including children, were killed on October 7, 2023. Some 12 Americans were also among the 250 people taken hostage by Hamas. Seven of them still remain in captivity, at least thee who are believed to be dead. More than 30 American Israeli citizens serving in the IDF have been killed in Gaza, and some of their families also are parties to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit cites Hamas documents discovered in Gaza, as well as documents obtained by the Americans' lawyers regarding a secret meeting of Hamas leaders in December 2022m, in which Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar requests an additional $7 million a month from the Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps for the “big project,” referring to the October 7 attack, according to the New York Times, which reviewed the documents.
The lawsuit was filed by several lawyers, including Lee Wolosky, and Gary M. Osen, who once represented Nazi victims. Lawsuits are frequently filed against Iran in U.S. courts, and the cases are often won via default judgements.