Natwest accused of holding accounts for terrorist group

Families of Americans killed or injured in Palestinian terrorist attacks have filed a lawsuit accusing the NatWest Bank of maintaining an account for a US-designated terrorist group that allegedly funnels money to the militant group Hamas.

The lawsuit alleges that the bank provides services for the UK-based charity group Interpal.

In 2003 the US government named Interpal a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, freezing its assets in the US.

“America can’t allow banks to do business in this country while providing financial services to Specially Designated Global Terrorists overseas,” Gary Osen, a lawyer for the families, said in a statement.

The lawsuit is an amended version of one filed last year in US federal court on behalf of Tzvi Weiss, an American student wounded in a 2003 bus bombing in Jerusalem.

It was amended to add more plaintiffs and seeks unspecified damages.

The law firm handling the lawsuit also has filed a similar one against the French bank Credit Lyonnais, alleging it provides banking services for CBSP, a French-based Palestinian group also given terrorist status by the US.