The families of American victims who were murdered in Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, along with families of American-Israeli soldiers killed during subsequent military operations in Gaza, have filed a lawsuit against Iran in a US federal court.
According to The New York Times, the lawsuit accuses Tehran of providing crucial support for what the plaintiffs describe as the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust, including direct funding for what Hamas leaders internally called "the big project."
The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court in Washington, outlines Iran's extensive financing network supporting Hamas and details Tehran's backing of other terror organizations committed to Israel's destruction. The case builds its foundation, in part, on recently captured Hamas documents discovered in Gaza and subsequently published in media reports.
The plaintiffs' legal team has secured original documents revealing a crucial December 2022 clandestine planning meeting of Hamas' political and military leadership. During this high-level gathering, Yahya Sinwar, then Hamas' Gaza chief, sought an additional $7 million in monthly funding from Iran's Revolutionary Guards to finance what would become the Oct. 7 attack, cryptically referred to in documents as "the big project."
According to The New York Times, the lawsuit highlights the Revolutionary Guards' critical role in orchestrating coordination between Hamas and Hezbollah during attack preparations. All organizations named in the lawsuit – Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the US.
The Oct. 7 attack claimed the lives of 46 Americans, including children. Hamas took approximately 250 people hostage, among them 12 Americans. While seven Americans remain in Gaza, three have been declared dead. The legal action also encompasses Americans killed in combat operations in Gaza or along Israel's northern front. More than 30 American-Israeli citizens lost their lives while serving in the IDF.
Among those fallen was Moshe Leiter, 39, a reservist serving in an elite naval unit. His father, Dr. Yechiel Leiter, is slated to become Israel's ambassador to the US next year.
The American casualties included Danielle Waldman, 24, a Palo Alto, California native. She and her boyfriend were among at least 360 people killed at the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023. Evidence suggests she was ambushed in her vehicle, later found with multiple bullet holes and bearing bloodstains.
According to The New York Times, the plaintiffs seek damages under both the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act and the PATRIOT Act. The case is being pursued by a team of prominent attorneys, including Gary M. Osen, known for representing Nazi victims, and Lee Wolosky.
American courts have seen numerous lawsuits against Iran by terror victims over the years. Iran consistently fails to appear in its defense, typically resulting in default judgments for the plaintiffs.
