The family of First Sgt. Amir Khoury, a police officer who died in a terrorist attack in Bnei Brak, northeast of Tel Aviv, in 2022, filed a lawsuit against the Palestinian Authority on Wednesday, demanding approximately 56 million shekels (~$15.5 million) in damages.
The lawsuit was filed with the Jerusalem District Court by Khoury’s parents, Jiris and Samia, his widow, Shani Yashar, and his colleague Staff Sgt. Amos Bashiri, who was wounded in the incident, Ynet reported.
“Unfortunately, nothing has changed. The Palestinian Authority has not only continued to support and encourage terrorism, but it also still pays monthly salaries to terrorist murderers and their families, as anchored in Palestinian legislation,” lawyer Anat Ginzburg, who represents the plaintiffs, was quoted as saying.
According to the suit, the terrorist, Diaa Hamarsheh, shot at Khoury and Bashiri as they rode on their motorcycle. The bike “veered off course” and the two fell off, it continued.
“Amos, who had his weapon drawn, engaged the terrorist and neutralized him by firing his personal weapon. Amos received the highest decoration awarded by the Israel Police in recognition of his actions carried out with self-sacrifice, bravery and courage to save human lives,” the suit reads, Ynet reported.
Then-Public Security Minister Omer Bar-Lev handed a certificate of merit to both police officers in the wake of the terrorist attack in 2022.
Addressing Bashiri in a ceremony at the Bnei Brak police station with officers of the motorcycle unit, Bar-Lev said at the time, “You responded with your partner First Sergeant Khoury to the terror shooting attack in Bnei Brak. Your rapid response to the incident resulted in the elimination of the terrorist, averting an even greater tragedy.”
Bar-Lev continued, “The courage demonstrated by [Bashiri and Khoury] upon their arrival at the terror scene in Bnei Brak, as motorcycle unit patrolmen, cannot be understated. They answered the call and arrived on the scene immediately without knowing whether it was a lone terrorist or a gang of terrorists. By their action, they averted a much larger tragedy.”
Khoury, 32, and Bashiri were the first police to arrive at the scene. Khoury’s partner shot dead Hamarsheh during the gun battle. Five people were murdered in the attack, including Khoury.
Khoury, an Arab Christian, was buried at the Nof HaGalil Military Cemetery. (Until 2019, Nof HaGalil was known as Upper Nazareth.)
He is survived by his parents, a brother and two sisters.
His widow, Shani Yashar “continuously works” to commemorate his memory throughout the country, according to the report.
