Survivors of October 7 sue Al Jazeera in US court, alleging ties to Hamas

A group of survivors from the October 7 event have filed a lawsuit against the Al Jazeera network, which is based in Qatar, in a US federal court, accusing the news outlet of providing "substantial assistance" to Hamas.

The survivors argue that Al Jazeera played a key role in spreading propaganda, recruiting militants, and inciting violence.

The lawsuit, filed in Washington, includes multiple victims, such as Morris Schnaider, whose niece Shiri Bibas, along with her two children, Kfir and Ariel, were killed in Hamas captivity due to "Israeli" airstrikes.

Schnaider's family members, including his sister Margit Silberman and her husband Yossi, were allegedly also killed by Hamas militants in the "Israeli" settlement village of Nir Oz.

The claimants are bringing this case under American counter-terrorism laws, asserting that Al-Jazeera knowingly facilitated the operations of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The survivors argue that Al Jazeera gave the organizations a platform to promote violence and extremism.

Schnaider, speaking on behalf of his family, expressed the grief caused by the alleged murders: “The cruel murder of Shiri, Kfir, and Ariel by terrorists from Gaza is an inconceivable atrocity that has destroyed our family forever… We can never erase from our minds the suffering and torture they endured before their deaths."

The survivors, represented by Nitsana Darshan-Leitner of the Israel Law Center, will reference research conducted by attorney Jordan Cope from Stand With Us. Darshan-Leitner founded the "Israel Law Center" in 2003, and its website states that the organization is “at the forefront of fighting terrorism and safeguarding Jewish rights worldwide.”

The center has previously attempted to sue Qatari banks and charities, alleging they financed Hamas. It has also supported victims of the October 7, 2023, event by advocating for an investigation into the political advocacy group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).

The suit claims that Al Jazeera employed several Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives as journalists and highlights exclusive interviews with Hamas leaders, some of whom have been allegedly directly involved in attacks against "Israeli" and American civilians.

The lawsuit is also aimed at Al Jazeera’s US subsidiary, which the survivors argue played a direct role in supporting these groups.