• US Supreme Court unanimously reinstates lawsuits against Palestinian authorities.
• The ruling pertains to a 2019 law enabling legal action for victims of terrorism.
• The case includes historical incidents resulting in American casualties.
• Chief Justice Roberts affirmed the legality of the jurisdictional law.
• The decision aims to provide victims with a forum for justice in US courts.

The US Supreme Court upheld a statute that facilitates lawsuits against Palestinian authorities by American victims of terrorism, issuing a unanimous 9-0 ruling on June 20. The ruling reinstates the 2019 Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act, allowing plaintiffs to seek monetary damages for violence that occurred in Israel and the occupied West Bank, according to Reuters and Dawn.

The decision overturns a lower court's ruling that the law violated the due process rights of the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Chief Justice John Roberts, who authored the opinion, argued that the law aligns with constitutional due process rights, and is part of a broader foreign policy agenda to ensure victims have a legal forum to pursue justice, as reported by Newsweek and Al Jazeera.

This law enables U.S. courts to assert jurisdiction over the PLO and Palestinian Authority, particularly if they conduct activities within the United States or make payments related to attacks against Americans. The case involved families of victims, including those killed in attacks dating from 2002 to 2018, with plaintiffs alleging direct involvement or incitement from Palestinian operatives in the terrorist acts, as highlighted by Reuters and Newsweek.