A billionaire American-Palestinian entrepreneur is facing a lawsuit filed by mourning families who lost relatives in the October 7 terrorist attack in Israel. Bashar Masri, once named one of the "world's greatest leaders," has been accused of allowing Hamas to build the infrastructure used in their October 7 attack, which left 1,200 dead and ignited the current war in Gaza.
According to the lawsuit, the billionaire real estate developer was allegedly aware that Hamas operatives were digging complex tunnel networks beneath his properties in Gaza, using them to hide and launch rockets toward Israel in the deadly war that has killed hundreds and left another several thousand wounded and homeless.
Helping the Hamas Against Israel
These tunnels have played a key role in Hamas' operations, serving as hiding places for hostages abducted during the 2023 attack on the Nova Music Festival, as well as storage sites for large caches of weapons.
"The properties defendants developed with Hamas were not only part of the infrastructure Hamas used in connection with the Oct. 7 attack itself," the lawsuit stated.
"Their development deliberately advanced Hamas's false narrative that it was interested primarily in the economic development of Gaza and a grudging coexistence with Israel."
Masri, a Virginia Tech alumnus who was once named by the World Economic Forum as a 'Global Leader of Tomorrow,' denies the accusations, calling them unfounded, and is pushing to have the lawsuit thrown out.
"Neither he nor those entities have ever engaged in unlawful activity or provided support for violence and militancy," his office said in a statement.
"His continued efforts to promote regional peace and stability have been widely recognized by the United States and all concerned parties in the region. He unequivocally opposes violence of any kind."
The lawsuit, considered unprecedented, was filed in the Federal District Court in Washington, where Masri owns a home. It notes that 46 American citizens were killed in the initial October 7 attack.
No Direct Links
While the lawsuit does not claim that Masri had prior knowledge of the assault, it alleges he was aware that Hamas had stored military infrastructure on his properties. According to the complaint, Masri's financial ventures in Gaza directly helped Hamas.
One of his sites, an industrial park close to the Israeli border, reportedly housed a sophisticated underground tunnel system that was 'siphoning electricity from their World Bank-funded solar project.'
His Blue Beach Resort is also alleged to have contained a complex network of tunnels connected to a nearby Hamas training facility. The Israel Defense Forces reported that the resort was used by Hamas as a staging ground for attacks, both on the surface and underground.
The lawsuit also cites Israeli military intelligence claims that rockets were launched from Masri's Ayan Hotel. It also claims that tunnels underneath the hotel could be accessed through specific rooms and areas of the building.
Both the Blue Beach Resort and Ayan Hotel sustained damage during Israeli military strikes in response to the October 7 attacks.
The lawsuit represents 200 plaintiffs, including the family of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American who was initially taken hostage and later killed. Eyal Waldman, Masri's former business associate, also joined the legal action. Waldman's daughter was among those killed during the October 7 attack at the Nova Music Festival.
Masri is reportedly advising Adam Boehler, the Trump administration's envoy working to secure the release of Hamas-held hostages. According to the New York Times, Masri has also been involved in discussions about rebuilding Gaza once the war ends.
