The family of an American woman who was taken hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, as well as relatives of two men killed in the terrorist group’s attack on October 7, are suing cryptocurrency exchange Binance, accusing it of facilitating the violence.
Judith Raanan, who was released along with her daughter, as well as the families of Itay Glisko and Dr. Daniel Levy Ludmir, who were killed by Hamas, sued Binance in Manhattan federal court on Wednesday.
The lawsuit was filed over Binance’s alleged permission for Hamas to trade on its platform. It comes after the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange was found guilty of violating sanctions and anti-money laundering laws by allowing groups such as Hamas to circumvent US banking regulations. As a result, Binance was required to pay a criminal fine of $1.8 billion and forfeit $2.5 billion.
According to the charges presented in court, Binance’s assistance to Hamas facilitated the financing of terrorist attacks and the recruitment of perpetrators.
In addition to Binance, the lawsuit also names Iran and Syria as state sponsors of terrorism, which, according to the plaintiffs, supported Hamas by providing funding and weapons.
The Raanana family, the Glisko family, and Ludmir’s relatives are seeking damages from Binance, Iran, and Syria for allegedly aiding, abetting, and providing material support to a terrorist organization.
