Sderot resident holding Qassam
Photo: AFP
Sderot to sue PA over Qassams
Town's residents set to file suit against Palestinian Authority, demand NIS 50 million compensations for damages caused by rocket attacks
Residents of the southern town of Sderot have had to deal with the continuous threat of Palestinian Qassam attacks on their houses for the last five years, while both military and diplomatic efforts on the part of Israel to solve the problem have so far failed.
Locals have therefore decided to take action into their own hands and file a joint lawsuit against the Palestinian Authority, Israel's leading newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported Monday.
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A group of the town's elders is currently formulating a legal case, to be filed to an Israeli court, in the framework of which they plan to sue the Palestinians for NIS 50 million (about USD 11 million) as compensations for damages caused to buildings, for businesses that went broke and for the residents' emotional suffering.
"We demand everything, from compensations for holes in roads, to psychological treatment for children," Arieh Cohen, one of the people behind the lawsuit explained.
"Someone has to bear the expenses. We shouldn't have to pay for this," he added.
'Children, youth affected most'
The initiators of the legal action said they contacted Sderot residents and members of neighboring kibbutzim in order to document damages cause by rockets in the area. The group has also begun negotiations with several lawyers, before it decides which one will represent it in court.
If they win in court and are granted the money, Cohen promised it will not go into their own pockets. "We'll build centers for youth and children, as they are the ones who have been hurt most by these attacks."
Meanwhile, Sderot residents are already planning another legal action, this time against the Israeli government. Townspeople plan to appeal the court to issue an injunction against the state of Israel, to prevent any transfer of funds to the PA.
"The people of Sderot need this money, not the Palestinians who ruin our lives," one local stated.
