A group of 245 Israeli terror victims and their families filed a major lawsuit against the Palestinian Authority (PA) today (Thursday), demanding 1.255 billion shekels in compensation for damages inflicted by Palestinian terror attacks. The lawsuit, submitted to the Jerusalem District Court, is based on a new Israeli law compensating terror victims, which stipulates that the heirs of murdered victims are entitled to 10 million shekels, while those left permanently disabled from attacks may receive up to 5 million shekels.
Families of October 7 Victims Among Plaintiffs
The plaintiffs include families of victims from various terror attacks, including those murdered in the October 7 Hamas massacre, such as attendees of the Nova music festival at Kibbutz Re’im, as well as victims of previous Palestinian terror attacks in recent years. According to the lawsuit, the Palestinian Authority is directly responsible for funding terror, having transferred hundreds of millions of shekels annually to terrorists and their families, including those involved in some of the deadliest attacks against Israelis.
The Palestinian Authority Encouraged and Supported Terror Attacks
The lawsuit explicitly accuses the PA of having “initiated, supported, and encouraged acts of terror” against Israeli civilians. It further states that the PA actively rewards terror through its policy of paying salaries to terrorists and their families. “The PA’s policy of terror stipends is repugnant and morally indefensible,” the lawsuit reads. “Such payments do not merely approve past acts of terrorism but serve as a direct incentive for future attacks.”
“The Fight Against Terror Must Extend Beyond the Battlefield”
Attorney Barak Kedem, representing the plaintiffs, emphasized the broader implications of the legal battle: “The fight against terrorism is not confined to the battlefield. We must also combat terror in the legal arena, cutting off its financial lifelines and securing justice for victims and their families.”
The defendants named in the lawsuit are the Palestinian Authority and Hamas. The plaintiffs argue that the PA’s financial support for terrorists constitutes an ongoing mechanism of encouragement and reward for terrorism, which directly fuels future attacks.
