Palestinian authorities seek Supreme Court relief to pause $656 million judgment for American victims of Israeli attacks
Palestinian authorities have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to temporarily halt a $656 million judgment resulting from a long-running lawsuit filed by Americans killed or wounded in attacks in Israel. The Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority argued that paying the full amount immediately would destabilize critical government services in the West Bank, injure innocent citizens, and jeopardize regional security. This emergency appeal follows a lower court's decision to reinstate the damages after a 2025 Supreme Court ruling established that American victims could sue the Palestinian groups on U.S. soil under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The lawsuit originated from attacks in Jerusalem in the early 2000s that killed 33 people and wounded hundreds more. While the families of the victims were pleased with the lower court's reinstatement of the award, the Palestinian groups now argue that the lower court should not have revived the original verdict, as it was voided before the legal changes were made. The Supreme Court will consider the petition on its emergency docket.