Group of 7 October 2023 survivors file lawsuit against Al Jazeera: Report

A group of survivors of the October 7, 2023, attacks have sued Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based news network, in a U.S. court, accusing the broadcaster of assisting Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in disseminating propaganda, recruiting militants, and inciting violence. The lawsuit alleges Al Jazeera's coverage contributed to the scale and impact of the attacks.

According to an article published Thursday by The Jewish Chronicle, the survivors include Maurice Schneider, who is the uncle of Shiri Bibas, who was taken captive by Hamas. Schneider's sister and brother-in-law were also allegedly killed in the attacks, adding to the personal tragedy driving the legal action.

According to StandWithUS, the lawsuit was filed on February 23 in a U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., and the organization stated that they assisted in preparing the suit. The lawsuit aims to seek "financial compensation and justice for the victims and families of victims of the October 7 attacks and ensuing war." The Chronicle reported that the lawsuit also alleges that Al Jazeera employs several members of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad as journalists, raising concerns about journalistic integrity.

The survivors are represented by Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, who founded the Israel Law Center in 2003. The website proclaims that the law center is "at the forefront of fighting terrorism and preserving Jewish rights worldwide." The law center has previously attempted to sue Qatar-based banks and charities, accusing them of funding Hamas. It has also supported victims of the October 7, 2023, attacks by calling for investigations into the political advocacy group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).

For years, Al Jazeera has been a headache for Israel, with the country's government and military repeatedly targeting Al Jazeera journalists and its network operations. Since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023, the network has faced multiple attempts to shut down its reporting through arrests, imprisonment, and the killing of its journalists and their family members. In January, the Palestinian Authority suspended Al Jazeera's broadcasts after the news service was accused of publishing "incendiary material."

A ministerial committee made up of the Ministries of Communications, Culture, and Interior issued a statement accusing Al Jazeera of violating "current Palestinian laws and regulations" and said that "a decision has been made to temporarily stop broadcasting and freeze all work by its journalists, employees, staff and affiliated channels." The statement said, "This decision came after Al Jazeera insisted on broadcasting incendiary material and reports characterized by being misleading, inciting sedition and interfering in Palestinian internal affairs."

In May 2024, Israel also implemented a ban on Al Jazeera's website in the country after raiding its offices in East Jerusalem and confiscating its equipment. In September, Israeli forces raided Al Jazeera's offices in the West Bank city of Ramallah and ordered it to cease operations, further escalating tensions between the network and the Israeli government.

As of the time of publication, Al Jazeera and the Israel Law Center have not responded to requests for comment.