Survivors and relatives of Israeli victims from the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack have filed a massive lawsuit against Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram. They accuse the tech giant of enabling the broadcast of killings, kidnappings, and other violent acts by allowing Hamas to livestream the assault and upload disturbing videos without immediate removal.

The case, lodged in the Tel Aviv District Court, seeks almost 4 billion shekels ($1.17 billion) in damages. Plaintiffs want 200,000 shekels for each victim whose suffering was broadcast and 20,000 shekels for every Israeli exposed to the footage. Lawyers say this could set an important legal precedent for holding social media platforms accountable.

One of the lead families in the case, the Idans, says Hamas militants stormed their home, held them hostage, and murdered their eldest daughter, Maayan — livestreaming the horror on the mother's Facebook account. The father, Tsachi, was taken to Gaza and later killed.

Another plaintiff says she learned of her grandmother's abduction and death only after seeing footage posted on her Facebook page. Many victims and bystanders say they were traumatized simply by logging in and being confronted with violent scenes.

Plaintiffs argue Meta failed to activate emergency systems, allowing harmful videos to stay online for hours or even days, and accuse the company of profiting from the viral spread.

Meta responded with condolences and said it had dedicated teams working nonstop to remove content glorifying Hamas or the October 7 attack.

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