Here’s a lawsuit to like: over 200 Americans whose relatives — citizens of both Israel and the U.S. — were murdered by Hamas on October 7, 2023, have now filed a lawsuit against the Palestinian-American billionaire Bashar Masri. They claim that he was involved in building an industrial estate in Gaza that, while it had legitimate businesses, also hosted Hamas, and became the center for its building a network of terror tunnels. Those tunnels made it easier for Hamas to move both its men and weapons around in the Strip, and to smuggle weapons in from Egypt. More on Bashar Masri, and the help he gave to Hamas, can be found here: “October 7 victims sue mogul for using USAID-funded site to aid Hamas tunnels,” by Michael Starr, Jerusalem Post, April
Palestinian-American billionaire Bashar Masri has been accused of using United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and international-funded Gazan infrastructure projects to facilitate Hamas tunnel systems, according to a lawsuit filed on Monday on behalf of American October 7 massacre victims.
The lawsuit – filed by law firms Osen LLC, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, Stein Mitchell Beato & Missner LLP, and Motley Rice LLC – alleged that following the 2021 conflict, Masri had rebuilt the Gaza Industrial Estate (GIE), which had been established in 1997 with support from USAID, turning it into a hub of Hamas operation.
While GIE housed legitimate businesses, the lawsuit alleged that it also hosted a terrorist tunnel network, including a passage under the border to allow Hamas to attack Israelis.
The lawsuit noted that PADICO Board of Directors chair Masri presided over the 2022 signing of the GIE rebuilding project alongside alleged Hamas manufacturing division commander and economy minister Abd al-Fattah al-Zari’i.
Zari’i was killed in an IDF airstrike in August for his logistical role in facilitating terrorist operations and seizing control of humanitarian aid.
Osen LLC managing partner Gary Osen said in the press release, “Any assessment of the factors that enabled Hamas to carry out these unprecedented attacks is woefully incomplete without considering the terror tunnel network’s central role.”
Masri is also alleged by the suit to have worked with Hamas to supply tunnel infrastructure with electricity from solar power and green energy infrastructure that were backed by the US, the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).
Not only did Masri help Hamas to build the vast network of tunnels under Gaza, where the terror group could both hide, and move about, both combatants and weapons, but he also supplied infrastructure, including electricity, that was provided by projects paid for by such trusting sources as the American government, the World Bank, and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).
Plaintiff and former Israeli science and technology minister Izhar Shay, who lost his son in the October 7 attacks, said that the lawsuit presented evidence that prominent Palestinian investors raised money from the World Bank, the UN, and the EU to build projects but coordinated with Hamas to develop subterranean infrastructure….
The American-Israeli plaintiffs intend to prove that Bashar Masri, as well as other rich Palestinians — but none nearly as rich as he — did raise money from international economic and political organizations, including the World Bank, the UN, and the EU. which ended up being used by Hamas for tunnel building.
Shay mentioned two luxury hotels held by PADICO that the suit also alleged were involved in facilitating Hamas tunnel and rocket operations. The complaint also noted that the hotels served as venues for key Hamas events.
These two luxury hotels in Gaza were built over major tunnels, where Hamas hid many of its rockets. The hotels themselves were not just for tourists, but were used by Hamas for meetings of the terror organization’s senior leadership.
A spokesperson for Masri said that he was shocked to learn about the allegations through the media and would seek the dismissal of the “baseless” complaint in court.
So Masri’s spokesman tells us his employer was “shocked” to learn of those allegations. He is sure that the complaint against him will be dismissed as “baseless.” But such a charge would not be brought against a such a powerful, well-lawyered and deep-pocketed defendant unless the plaintiffs were sure that their case was strong.
somehistory says
The greedy ghoul ‘was shocked’ that anyone would find out and sue him. The lying goon naturally calls the charges “baseless”….what else can he say and remain a lying ghoul, a.k.a. mozlum terrorist?
And here again, the infamous “usaid”….aiding terror and terrorists…with the hard-earned money of American taxpayers who would have objected if given a voice in the matter.
I hope he goes down hard.
john andela says
When ever this type of infrastructure takes place , there is a price attached to it , where do the funds come from ? in most cases from western resources and friendly oil rich countries .
As a westerner I believe that we need to stand up against these evel gnostics , and support our Israel friends , since they essentially are standing up for Christian values and the west , not to mention their own existence
OLD GUY says
Those who financially support or profit off these acts of terror or wars are just as responsible for the killing as the soldier or terrorist pulling the trigger. War is vary profitable for those supplying the arms, ammunition, supplies and the rebuilding of what was destroyed.
RghtStuff says
What do rich people get out of being so STUPID? Or, are they willing subversives?
Jeff Stiles says
a note about his name “Masri” means Egyptian, likely meaning that the family immigrated from there during the British Mandate.