Historic lawsuit targets terror financiers, asserting justice over impunity as Israel defends victims’ rights.
In a landmark legal move, 273 Israeli terror victims and bereaved families filed a ₪1.225 billion lawsuit on Thursday in the Jerusalem District Court against the Palestinian Authority and the terrorist organization Hamas.
The lawsuit relies on Israel’s new compensation law for terror victims, which mandates ₪10 million for the heirs of each murder victim and ₪5 million for victims left with permanent disabilities due to terrorist attacks. This filing adds to earlier claims totaling ₪14 billion, representing approximately 2,800 murdered and wounded Israelis—many from the October 7 massacre.
Filed by attorney Barak Kedem of the Arbus Kedem Tzur law firm, the case asserts that the Palestinian Authority systematically encourages and finances terrorism through direct payments to terrorists and their families—commonly referred to as “pay-for-slay.” According to the claim, these payments do not merely express ideological support but create financial incentives for mass murder.
Attorney Kedem stated the lawsuit’s purpose is twofold: to compensate victims and to cut off terror funding at its source. “The Palestinian Authority must pay the price for its actions,” he said, emphasizing that justice must finally replace decades of international indulgence toward terror financiers.
In parallel, Israeli authorities have already seized ₪4.5 billion in Palestinian Authority funds, following earlier court rulings demanding tougher enforcement against those bankrolling violence. Unlike international bodies that lecture Israel while ignoring terror incentives, Israel’s courts are asserting moral clarity: terrorism has consequences.
This legal offensive sends a powerful message—Israel will defend its citizens not only on the battlefield, but in the courtroom. Accountability is no longer optional.
