A federal lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York seeks justice for American citizens harmed in Palestinian terror attacks, focusing on dual American-Israeli citizen Hananel Gez, who survived a deadly shooting near Jerusalem earlier this year. The case, filed under the US Anti-Terrorism Act, names the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as defendants.
Gez was critically injured in May 2025 while driving his pregnant wife, Tzeela, to the hospital to give birth to their son. Palestinian terrorists opened fire on their car, killing Tzeela instantly. Their baby, Ravid Haim Gez, was delivered in an emergency operation but died fifteen days later from his wounds. Gez, who sustained serious injuries, later underwent surgery to remove shrapnel from his chest.
According to the 64-page complaint, the attack was carried out as part of a broader campaign of violence encouraged and funded by the PA and PLO through their “Pay for Slay” program - a system of government payments to terrorists, those injured in attacks, and the families of those killed while carrying them out. The suit alleges that this policy created a financial incentive to murder Jews, Israelis, and Americans.
The filing states that the family of the terrorist who killed Tzeela and Ravid Gez and injured Hananel Gez has received thousands of shekels in reward payments from the PA since June 2025. The plaintiffs argue that such payments constitute direct material support for terrorism under U.S. law.
The lawsuit also includes Stuart Force, whose son Taylor, a U.S. Army veteran, was murdered by a Palestinian terrorist in Tel Aviv in 2016. Both families seek compensation and a judicial order to dismantle the Pay for Slay program, which they say fuels ongoing violence.
Hananel Gez’s complaint describes enduring severe emotional trauma alongside lasting physical injury. It emphasizes the need for accountability, stating that American citizens targeted abroad by terrorism deserve justice in US courts.
The plaintiffs are represented by attorneys David Schoen, the National Jewish Advocacy Center, and co-counsel from Holtzman Vogel.