Pay-for-slay: Could the Palestinian Authority be held legally liable for October 7?

The Jerusalem District Court is currently hearing over 8,000 lawsuits seeking to hold the Palestinian Authority (PA) civilly responsible for the October 7 massacre. The central question is whether the PA's long-standing system of paying and employing prisoners and released prisoners, rather than direct payments to specific October 7 terrorists, can establish legal liability. Lt.-Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch, a former director of the IDF Military Prosecution in the West Bank, argues that the PA's framework, which includes payments, grants, and employment rights for released prisoners, could have materially assisted individuals who later returned to terrorism, including key Hamas figures like Yahya Sinwar. Judge Eran Shilo has set a common procedure to first determine the PA's potential responsibility before addressing individual damages. The case is in its early stages of written arguments and information gathering, with the PA expected to file a response by October 18.