The Jerusalem District Court on Sunday ordered Hamas to pay nearly 1 billion shekels in damages to victims of the October 7 terror attack, issuing a default judgment after the organization failed to respond to the lawsuit, Ynet reports.

Judge Eran Shila granted the ruling at the request of hundreds of plaintiffs, including survivors of the attack and relatives of those killed, after Hamas did not submit a statement of defense.

The claims were filed by attorney David Simana under Israel’s Terror Victims Compensation Law, which took effect in 2024 and allows for punitive damages against perpetrators of terrorism and those deemed responsible for such acts.