A Palestinian-American billionaire helped lay the groundwork for the Hamas Oct. 7 attacks, families of American Oct. 7 massacre victims alleged in a new lawsuit released Monday.
The lawsuit targets Bashar Masri, a Palestinian-American billionaire who allegedly used his Gaza-based companies to quietly aid Hamas in building key infrastructure that would be used in the conflict, including tunnels, buildings for high-level meetings and even power generation. Some of the construction was done using U.S. taxpayer funds, according to the lawsuit, which pointed to funds doled out by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
“By actively working with Hamas to build and maintain its attack tunnel infrastructure while simultaneously advancing Hamas’s campaign of deception, Defendants aided and abetted and conspired with Hamas, and the October 7 Attack and the deaths of soldiers and civilians thereafter were a foreseeable consequence of Defendants’ collaboration with Hamas,” the lawsuit reads. “Plaintiffs—American victims of the October 7 Attack and its aftermath, and their family members and their estates—therefore bring this action under the Anti-Terrorism Act (“ATA”) as amended by the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (“JASTA”).”
The billionaire has rejected the allegations, with Masri’s office telling The New York Times that he “was shocked to learn through the media that a baseless complaint was filed today referring to false allegations against him and certain businesses he is associated with.”
“Neither he nor those entities have ever engaged in unlawful activity or provided support for violence and militancy,” Masri’s office continued.
Defendants in the case include the Palestine Development & Investment Company, Palestine Real Estate Investment Company and Palestinian Industrial Estate Development Company, according to court filings. The plaintiffs allege in the lawsuit that Marsi used his holding company, Massar International Ltd, to secure U.S. tax dollars for his construction and development companies. Massar International did not respond to a request for comment.
Marsi has deep connections in Washington, D.C., and high society, sitting on the Dean’s Council at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government while working with various wealthy investors on the Middle East Investment Institute, according to court documents.
The Daily Caller News Foundation was unable to confirm whether taxpayer funds from USAID’s coffers ended up in the hands of firms controlled by Masri. The State Department, which currently oversees USAID, did not respond to a request for comment.
“His permanent marital residence is in the Kalorama section of Washington, DC, up the street from the residence of a former U.S. president and assorted political leaders and diplomats,” the filing reads.
The Gaza Industrial Estate, which court documents describe as the “crown jewel” in Masri’s development portfolio, allegedly contained Hamas tunnels underneath while diverting the building’s solar power to aid the terrorists, according to the filings. The construction was allegedly paid for by USAID dollars, while also taking considerable grants from the World Bank through their subsidiary, the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
Marsi’s luxury hotels in Gaza, the Blue Beach and the Al Mashtal, also allegedly served as a meeting place Hamas leaders, according to court filings.
“Hamas operatives and leaders—including the architect of the October 7 Attack, Yahya Sinwar—regularly used the hotels to host public and private Hamas events,” the complaint reads. “Hamas officials also used the hotel for private functions, relaxing in the luxury accommodations and facilities that few Gazans can afford.”
Sinwar, who was killed by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) on Oct. 17, 2024, was the former leader of Hamas and chief architect of the Oct. 7 attacks. He reportedly planned to let as many Palestinians die as possible in order to create leverage against Israel.
The Oct. 7 attack took Israel by surprise, with Hamas militants killing nearly 1,200 people in Israel while also taking 240 hostages.
“Masri cloaked himself in legitimacy in service of this grand deception,” the lawsuit says.
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