Hamas Terrorist Attack Lawsuit

On October 7, 2023, the Hamas terrorist organization waged the deadliest attack on Israel in its history, murdering more than 1,200 men, women and children, injuring thousands, and taking over 251 people hostage. 

Terrorists attacked music festivals, public spaces and Israeli military installations, including the headquarters of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Gaza Division.

U.S. law allows citizens and their families who are impacted by international terrorism to sue private entities and state sponsors of terrorism. This allows people to file lawsuits against both the parties responsible for the attacks and those responsible for financing the attacks. Credible information links financial support from Iran to the terror attack launched by Hamas on October 7, 2023.

In August 2025, the Supreme Leader of Iran’s official website published a statement by a managing editor of a state-run publication. In it, the editor stated the October 7 attacks were the result of years of planning by Iran. By this time, however, the connection between Iran and Palestinian terrorist groups was well known. Evidence of this connection includes:

• Documents seized in Gaza: These documents connect Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar (killed by the Israeli military in October 2024) to payments from Iran. They show evidence of payments from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
• U.S. State Department 2020 Country Reports on Terrorism: The U.S. State Department reported that Iran provides $100 million annually in support to Palestinian terrorist groups.

Who are the defendants in the Hamas lawsuits?

The initial lawsuit named the Islamic Republic of Iran and the IRGC as the Iranian Defendants. The lawsuits also include entities collectively known as the FTO (Foreign Terrorist Organization) Defendants:

• Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya (aka Hamas)
• Palestinian Islamic Jihad
• Hezbollah
• Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine

The Syrian Arabic Republic was added as a defendant in May 2025.

Lawsuits have also been filed against private individuals and companies alleged to have provided critical financing and infrastructure for the October 7 attacks, including:

• Binance Holdings Limited (Binance)
• Changpeng Zhao
• Guangying “Heina” Chen
• Bashar Masri
• Palestine Development & Investment Company (PADICO)
• Palestine Real Estate Investment Company (PRICO)
• Palestinian Industrial Estate Development Company (PIEDCO)
• Massar International Limited

Who can bring a claim? 

• U.S. nationals who were victims of terrorist attacks
• Family members of U.S. nationals who were killed, regardless of their nationality
• U.S. service members
• U.S. government contractors

If you have a loved one who was harmed in the October 7 attacks on Israel, you may be able to file a lawsuit against Hamas and any other responsible foreign parties.

U.S. law creates several pathways to holding those involved in terrorist attacks accountable and provide compensation to victims, including: 
 

• Suing state sponsors of terrorism under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA)
• Suing private entities under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA)
• Receiving compensation from the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund (USVSST Fund) 

Under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) a United States national can bring a lawsuit in U.S. court against a designated state sponsor of terrorism. This is known as the “terrorism exception” and is found at 28 U.S.C. § 1605A(c). The list of designated state sponsors of terrorism currently includes the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Syrian Arab Republic, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), and Cuba.

A U.S. national may bring a lawsuit under the FSIA “for personal injury or death caused by [an act of torture, extrajudicial killing, aircraft sabotage, hostage taking, or the provision of material support or resources for such an act by] that foreign state….”

How long does litigation under FSIA take?

On behalf of eligible plaintiffs, Motley Rice files lawsuits against the designated state sponsor of terrorism – the defendant. The defendant will be notified that a lawsuit was filed against them in U.S. courts, which can take up to 1 year. Once notified, the defendant must then respond within 60 days. 

A defendant who does not respond to this notice can be held in default. To obtain a default judgment against the defendant, we must provide evidence to the court showing that the defendant was involved in supporting Hamas for the October 7, 2023, attacks. 

The court can take some time reviewing the evidence before deciding whether to grant a default judgment. Upon obtaining a default judgment, we must then provide evidence to the court supporting the amount of monetary damages each Plaintiff seeks. 

We understand this is an extensive process, but we are determined to fight alongside our clients for as long as it takes. 

If a monetary judgment is entered by the court against a designated state sponsor of terrorism, it is possible to file a claim with the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund. This fund was created by Congress and is administered by the U.S. Department of Justice. 

It may provide one method of compensation for our clients’ losses.

Yes. Under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), an injured United States national or their survivors, heirs, or estates if they were killed by international terrorism can sue private entities. This includes financial institutions or cryptocurrency exchanges. In addition, as was the case with our November 17, 2024, filed complaint, we are pursuing claims against the various Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) that were involved in these attacks. They include Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

While Binance Holdings Ltd. may be a viable defendant in an ATA action going forward, our investigation continues into other sources of funding for the various FTOs involved in the October 7 attacks to determine additional defendants against whom claims may be brought in federal court in the United States to try and cut off the funding mechanisms used by these FTOs. 

How do I receive compensation from Hamas terrorist attack lawsuits?

Similar to cases under the FSIA, Anti-Terrorism Act cases are time consuming. It is not uncommon for private entities and individuals sued under the ATA to engage in a stout defense through large law firms in the United States. These tactics can elongate the time that anti-terrorism cases can take to reach trial, assuming they have not been dismissed prior to that time or settled in advance of trial.

Motley Rice has experience representing terror-victim clients in cases that have lasted over a decade, demonstrating our commitment to our clients. These cases include our decades-long pursuit of justice on behalf of thousands of victims and family members of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and our representation of American victims of terrorist attacks in Israel against the Arab Bank.

If a monetary judgment is entered by the court against a designated state sponsor of terrorism, it is possible to file a claim with the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund. This fund was created by Congress and is administered by the U.S. Department of Justice. For judgments against private entities, compensation generally comes from them and/or their insurance.

The negative psychological and physical impact that victims and family members of victims of terrorist attacks face can be substantial.

For information on effects and practical coping methods:

• Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) – U.S. Department of Justice
  • The OVC Handbook for Coping After Terrorism: A Guide to Healing and Recovery

For information on how to cope as a family member of a victim:

• Managing Distress – Grounding Tips for Crime Victims, Survivors and Family Members of Mass Violence Incidents (MVIs)

Our attorneys have worked for decades to support families and survivors of terrorism on U.S. soil and abroad. Our work is largely facilitated by the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), a law that allows U.S. victims to sue terrorists and their financial and material supporters in U.S. federal court.

In Linde et al. v. Arab Bank PLC, our anti-terrorism team sued Arab Bank for nearly 40 U.S. victims of bombings in Israel and Palestinian Territories who alleged the bank’s financing of Hamas and other terrorist groups enabled the attacks. The case marked the first time that a financial institution had been brought to trial under the ATA and resulted in a confidential settlement.

In addition, Motley Rice has helped victims of terrorism including:

• 9/11 terrorist attacks
• International hotel bombings
• Roadside bombs

Learn more about our work for terror victims