Forty-two wounded survivors of the October 7 attack on a music festival in southern Israel are suing Israeli security forces for negligence.
The plaintiffs claim the high death toll could have been prevented if officials had heeded warnings about the threat and taken steps to protect attendees.
The victims filed a $56 million lawsuit in a Tel Aviv court against the military, police, defence ministry and security service. The October 7 attack on the Supernova rave near Gaza killed around 1,140 people, mostly civilians, and led to the abduction of some 240 others.
“A single phone call by IDF officials to the commander responsible for the party to disperse it immediately in view of the expected danger would have saved lives and prevented the physical and mental injuries of hundreds of partygoers, including the plaintiffs,” the lawsuit said as reported by The Times of Israel. “The negligence and the gross oversight is beyond belief.”
The suit included claims of loss of current and future earnings, pain and suffering and medical expenses. It cited reports which claimed that senior Israeli officials expressed concern over the party, and some even opposed it being held.
“On the night between 6 October and 7 October, at least two IDF assessments were held due to unusual incidents on the Gaza Strip border, one near midnight and another assessment close to 3 am, several hours before the Hamas attack,” the lawsuit said.
The suit alleges security was inadequate, with just 27 police officers on-site during the Simchat Torah holiday
Last month, the New York Times reported that Israeli officials obtained Hamas’s battle plan for the 7 October attack more than a year before it happened, but dismissed it as too ambitious.
So far, more than 22,000 Palestinians in Gaza - mostly women and children - have been killed by Israeli bombardment since the war began nearly three months ago.
