The surviving children of the Gavish family, whose parents, grandfather and older brother were murdered in a March terror attack, have brought suit in the Jerusalem District Court against the Hamas terrorist organization and the Palestinian Authority. The civil suit demands damages in the amount of NIS 176 million.
On March 28, 2002, the second night of Passover, a Palestinian terrorist infiltrated the Gavish family’s home in the central Shomron community of Elon Moreh. He opened fire against whomever he saw in the home, murdering the parents Rachel and David, the grandfather Yitzchak Kanner, and an older brother Avraham. Other family members escaped the attacker by fleeing from an upstairs window or by hiding under a table. The terrorist was eventually killed by security personnel.
The survivors - six orphans of Rachel and David between the ages of 14 and 23, as well as Avraham's wife and 2-year-old daughter - are plaintiffs in the suit, which was brought by attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, director of Shurat HaDin - Israel Law Center. The attorney told Arutz-7's Yosef Zalmanson that though there are about ten other such suits underway at present in Israel and abroad, "this is the first time that Hamas is being sued." She explained that the PA is just as culpable as Hamas: “The Palestinian Authority permits Hamas’ terrorist leadership and its members to be based in the territory under its control and gives them complete freedom of operation. Throughout the past two years, Arafat and the Hamas worked together to perpetrate a steady stream of infiltrations, shootings and suicide bombings against Israeli civilians."
On March 28, 2002, the second night of Passover, a Palestinian terrorist infiltrated the Gavish family’s home in the central Shomron community of Elon Moreh. He opened fire against whomever he saw in the home, murdering the parents Rachel and David, the grandfather Yitzchak Kanner, and an older brother Avraham. Other family members escaped the attacker by fleeing from an upstairs window or by hiding under a table. The terrorist was eventually killed by security personnel.
The survivors - six orphans of Rachel and David between the ages of 14 and 23, as well as Avraham's wife and 2-year-old daughter - are plaintiffs in the suit, which was brought by attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, director of Shurat HaDin - Israel Law Center. The attorney told Arutz-7's Yosef Zalmanson that though there are about ten other such suits underway at present in Israel and abroad, "this is the first time that Hamas is being sued." She explained that the PA is just as culpable as Hamas: “The Palestinian Authority permits Hamas’ terrorist leadership and its members to be based in the territory under its control and gives them complete freedom of operation. Throughout the past two years, Arafat and the Hamas worked together to perpetrate a steady stream of infiltrations, shootings and suicide bombings against Israeli civilians."