Lawsuit targets militant groups as complicit in deaths of US citizens in Hamas attack

Lawyers for U.S. victims of the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel are suing various groups that have been designated by the federal government as terrorist organizations, alleging they participated, aided or provided material support for the assault.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in federal court in Washington, also names Iran, Syria and North Korea, which are already facing legal action in the U.S. for the Oct. 7 assault, which led to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

“Our son’s life was senselessly cut short,” David and Hazel Brief said in a statement released by the Anti-Defamation League. “We believe it is critical that those responsible for the horrific terror inflicted that day are held accountable in a court of law, to ensure the record is clear as to who helped support, plan and carry out the violence that day.”

There are more than 140 plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which seeks at least $7 billion. They’re U.S. citizens who died or were wounded or their American family members, the ADL and law firm Crowell & Moring said.

Iran, Syria and North Korea have not formally responded to a similar lawsuit filed by others in 2024. The U.S. has deemed them to be state sponsors of terrorism, and Washington has designated Hamas as what’s known as a specially designated global terrorist group. The lawsuit also names the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and other groups.

The lawsuit cites the findings of a report published by the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry.

Under federal law, foreign governments can be held liable, in some circumstances, for deaths or injuries caused by acts of terrorism or by providing material support or resources for them.

The plaintiffs, if successful, might qualify for payments from a fund created by Congress that allows American victims of terrorism to receive payouts. The money comes from seized assets, fines or other penalties leveled against those that do business with a state sponsor of terrorism.

The war in Gaza began in 2023 when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 others. Forty-eight hostages remain in Gaza, around 20 of them believed by Israel to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals.

The Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has surpassed 65,000, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government. It does not say how many were civilians or combatants but says women and children make up nearly half the dead.

The Justice Department last year filed criminal charges against Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and other senior militants, saying they conspired to murder U.S. nationals in the Oct. 7 attack. Sinwar was killed by Israeli forces in October 2024.

Hamas, which does not accept Israel’s existence, says it is waging an armed struggle for Palestinian rights and is not at war with the United States.