In a newly filed US civil lawsuit, families of Americans killed in the October 7 Hamas-led massacre in Israel are accusing Palestinian American billionaire Bashar Masri of aiding the terror group by allowing it to exploit international development projects for tunnel construction. I reported this developing story [1] for The Media Line.
Filed under the US Anti-Terrorism Act, the lawsuit alleges that Masri, a naturalized US citizen and major West Bank developer, helped Hamas repurpose American- and donor-funded infrastructure—most notably the Gaza Industrial Estate—to facilitate the deadly assault. Masri denies all wrongdoing and has vowed to fight what he calls “baseless” accusations in court.
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The complaint portrays Masri not as a technocrat or peacemaker, but as someone whose vast network of companies, including PADICO and Massar International, allegedly enabled Hamas by offering “dual use” facilities—public-facing businesses that doubled as command centers and logistics hubs. It also connects him to a 2022 signing ceremony with a senior Hamas weapons official and claims his Gaza-based properties hosted Hamas planning sessions.
Masri has long been a controversial figure. While praised for building Rawabi, the first planned Palestinian city, and for supporting regional economic cooperation—including ties with Arab states that have peace or normalized relations with Israel—he has also advised controversial US figures like former hostage envoy Adam Boehler, who held direct talks with Hamas earlier this year before being sidelined.
The lawsuit’s broader implications are profound, touching on foreign aid, development finance, and private sector accountability in conflict zones. Masri’s defenders call the case politically motivated; the plaintiffs insist they want justice for the tunnel network that enabled Hamas’ October massacre.
To read the full story and understand the legal, diplomatic, and economic context, see my report [1] at The Media Line.