Ten families of Sderot residents, whose relatives were killed or seriously injured by  Kassam rockets, have filed a lawsuit against the Egyptian government in the Be’er Sheva District Court.  The court complaint accuses Egypt of intentionally assisting the Palestinian terror organizations in smuggling explosives and weapons into the Hamas controlled Gaza strip.

The plaintiffs argue in the lawsuit, that the explosives are being used by the terrorist groups to manufacture the Kassam rockets being launched against the Southern Israeli town of  Sderot.

Since Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, the Sderot residents have lived under continuous  Kassam attacks which have turned their lives into a living hell. The plaintiffs contend that the Egyptian government is the party largely responsible for aiding Hamas, Fatah and the Islamic Jihad in terrorizing the entire Negev.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs argue that Cairo assists the terror organizations by  authorizing the smuggling of tons of explosives and thousands of weapons into Gaza. The Egyptian government also allows terrorists to cross back and forth from the Egyptian held Sinai into Gaza, permitting them an open route to and from terrorist training bases in states like Iran, Lebanon and Syria. Egypt additionally, assists the terror organizations with their training in these rogue regimes, which is eventually utilized against Israeli civilians. Moreover, plaintiffs argue in the lawsuit, that Egypt assist the Palestinian terror organizations in smuggling tens of millions dollars inside Gaza, which is  used for the benefit of  terror attacks and to strengthen Hamas’ effective control.  Much of the funds being smuggled in from Egypt is utilized for terror attacks against Sderot residents.

Plaintiffs are represented by attorney Nitsana Darshan- Leitner, Director of Shurat HaDin -Israel Law Center.

The plaintiffs are demanding that Egypt compensate their families in the amount of  NIS 260,000,000  ($65,000,000 US).

The lawsuit comes in the wake of increasing tension between Israel and Egypt regarding Egypt’s role in assisting the terrorists’ smuggling operations. In recent weeks, Jerusalem and Cairo have exchanged public accusations against each other. According to the Israeli government, although Egypt is technically the Jewish State’s ally, it continuously  acts in order to weaken Israel and strengthen the terror organizations in Gaza.

After Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza, Egypt had accepted responsibility to police the border with Gaza. Its obligations on the border include preventing any hostile activity against Israel, including obstructing smuggling operations in the Philadelphia Route. Despite this, Egypt intentionally breeches this agreement and enables the terrorist organizations free passageway within its territory, which is being used for transferring  many of  tons of weapons and Iranian funds.  As such, the plaintiffs argue in the lawsuit, that there is no actual difference between the Egyptian government and the terrorist groups launching the Kassams from Beit Hanun. Both are equally responsible for the Sderot casualties. There is reliable evidence supporting that the allegations that Egypt deliberately assists Hamas’ smuggling operations. Plaintiffs argue that without Egyptian President Mubarak’s assistance, the terror organizations wouldn’t be able to murder Sderot residents.

According to attorney Nitsana Darshan Leitner: “Egypt has been repeatedly warned by Israel and by the American Congress to stop its support of  the Hamas smuggling operation in Gaza. Despite the so-called peace agreement between Israel and Egypt, it refuses to do so, due to the simple fact that Mubarak wants to bleed Israel with the Kassam rockets.  According to the Egyptian point of view, the Arab world’s decades long war against Israel lingers on to this day, and what Cairo couldn’t achieve in 1973, it continues to attempt to achieve now via Hamas’ attacks.  Just as Iran utilizes Hizbullah in Lebanon to be its proxy in terrorizing Israel, Egypt utilizes Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza. In the mean time, Sderot residents suffer all the casualties.”