Hostage families sue Columbia campus, New York activist groups for ‘aiding and abetting’ Hamas terrorists

The families of hostages kidnapped by Palestinian terrorists during the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre are suing the leaders of multiple New York-based anti-Israel radical groups, including detained Columbia University protest leader Mahmoud Khalil, for allegedly “aiding and abetting Hamas’ continuing acts of international terrorism.”

According to the lawsuit which was filed on Monday in Manhattan federal court, “Defendants in this case are Hamas’ propaganda arm in New York City and on the Columbia University campus.”

The suit alleged, “Their self-described acts in furtherance of their goals to assist Hamas have included terrorizing and assaulting Jewish students, unlawfully taking over and damaging public and university property on Columbia’s campus, and physically assaulting Columbia University employees.”

The plaintiffs include six family members of captives who remain held by terrorists in Gaza, as well as some hostages who were freed or rescued, including Iris Weinstein Haggai, the daughter of murdered Israeli-Americans Gad and Judy Haggai.

Khalil was named as one of the heads of the pro-Hamas actions at Columbia University last year, which the families claimed helped to spread the propaganda of Palestinian terrorist groups, including Hamas. Over the weekend, the Department of Justice claimed in court papers that the Columbia graduate student, who is a green card holder, should be deported for allegedly hiding his ties to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees on his visa application. The organization has been tied to terrorism and the Oct 7 attacks.

The lawsuit also names Nerdeen Kiswani of Within Our Lifetime, Maryam Alwan of the Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine, and Cameron Jones of the Columbia-Barnard Jewish Voice for Peace as defendants.

According to the families, as Palestinian terrorists launched their vicious attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people, injuring thousands, and kidnapped 251 more, Hamas urged its supporters abroad “join the battle in any way they can.” Khalil, Kiswani, Alwan and Jones are accused of answering the call and launching protests and riots in response. The filing states, “Associational Defendants have distributed pro-terror propaganda produced by and literally stamped with the logo of the ‘Hamas Media Office.’”

The suit suggests that some of the defendants had prior knowledge of the Oct. 7 attacks before they began. Columbia SJP was included in a signed statement supporting Hamas hours before the massacre. The toolkit also depicted graphics of Hamas paragliders that were used by the terrorists for the first time during the attack.

Additionally, “Three minutes before Hamas began its attack on October 7, Columbia SJP posted on Instagram ‘We are back!!’ and announced its first meeting of the semester would be announced and that viewers should ‘Stay tuned,'” the suit stated.

The families also alleged that every time Palestinian terrorists would put out a call for action, the student groups would respond, citing the violent encampment at Columbia’s campus and the takeover of Hamilton Hall.

According to the suit, the defendants are not protected under the First Amendment because they were coordinating with a foreign terrorist group and violated America’s Antiterrorism Act. “Associational Defendants are not independent advocates; they are expert propagandists and recruiters for international foreign terrorist organizations and nation-state proxies operating in plain sight in New York City.” the lawsuit added.

The lawsuit is seeking unspecified damages and for the defendants to be charged with violating the law.