Families of Israeli terror victims, backed by the ADL, launch a landmark U.S. lawsuit to hold Hamas, Hezbollah, and their state sponsors accountable for the October 7 atrocities.
In a bold legal strike against international terror, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has filed a sweeping lawsuit in U.S. federal court on behalf of the families devastated by Hamas’ barbaric October 7, 2023, massacre in Israel.
The new filing expands on an earlier July 2024 case against Iran, Syria, and North Korea—rogue states notorious for bankrolling terrorism—by adding eight blood-soaked terror organizations: Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, Palestinian Mujahideen Movement, Popular Resistance Committees, and Hezbollah.
This lawsuit, spearheaded by the ADL in partnership with powerhouse law firm Crowell & Moring, leans on two powerful U.S. statutes—the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act and the Anti-Terrorism Act—to demand both justice for victims and crippling punitive damages to deter future terror plots.
“The victims of the October 7 massacre deserve justice, accountability, and redress,” declared ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. “This lawsuit seeks to do that by holding those responsible for the carnage accountable, from the state sponsors who provided the funding, weapons, and training to the terrorist organizations who carried out these unspeakable atrocities.”
Among the plaintiffs are David and Hazel Brief, whose son Yona was murdered in the onslaught. “Our son’s life was senselessly cut short,” the Briefs said. “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.”
This case adds new families to the legal battle, ensuring the voices of the victims cannot be silenced. It is part of a growing wave of American legal action that underscores a global truth: October 7 was not only an attack on Israel, but an attack on humanity itself.
