LONDON: Survivors and relatives of Israeli victims of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack have filed a lawsuit against Meta, accusing the American tech giant of enabling and amplifying the atrocities through its platforms.
The plaintiffs are seeking nearly 4 billion shekels ($1.17 billion) in damages. The figure comprises 200,000 shekels for each victim whose suffering was broadcast or documented on Meta platforms and 20,000 shekels for every Israeli who was exposed to the footage.
The suit, filed with the Tel Aviv District Court, could set a precedent for social media companies. It alleges that Facebook and Instagram became “a pipeline for terror,” allowing Hamas militants to livestream and upload videos of killings, kidnappings and other atrocities.
The plaintiffs claim Meta failed to block or remove the footage in real time and left some content online for hours or even days.
Israeli news website Ynet reported that the legal action was initiated by the Idan family, who said Hamas gunmen stormed their home, held them hostage and murdered their eldest daughter, Maayan — all while livestreaming the attack on the mother’s Facebook account. The father, Tsachi, was abducted to Gaza and later killed.
