9 Palestinian-Americans sue US government for abandoning them in Gaza
What's the story
Nine Palestinian Americans have sued the United States government for allegedly not evacuating them and their families from Gaza amid the ongoing conflict.
The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
It accuses the State Department of discrimination by failing to provide evacuation efforts similar to those offered to other Americans in conflict zones like Afghanistan and Sudan.
Legal claims
Lawsuit alleges violation of constitutional rights
The plaintiffs contend that this purported inaction infringes upon their constitutional right to equal protection.
President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are named as defendants in the lawsuit.
A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on the pending litigation but stressed that the safety of American citizens is a "top priority."
Conflict impact
Gaza conflict's toll and international response
The Gaza conflict, which started on October 7, 2023, after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel, has left over 45,000 Palestinians dead, health officials said.
The violence has displaced nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million residents and triggered a dire humanitarian crisis.
This was the second lawsuit filed against the US government this week after Palestinian families sued the State Department on Tuesday for Washington's support for Israel's military.
Rising tensions
1st lawsuit accuses US of deliberately circumventing human rights law
The first lawsuit claimed that under Secretary of State Blinken, the State Department intentionally violated a US human rights law by continuing to fund and support Israeli military forces accused of atrocities in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The Leahy Laws bar the US from providing military aid to persons or security forces who commit egregious human rights crimes and have not been prosecuted.
South Africa and Amnesty International have accused Israel of genocide and war crimes.