U.S. Taxpayers File Historic Legal Complaint Against Government for Alleged Complicity in Gaza Genocide
Advocacy Groups to Present Case to Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Today
Taxpayers Against Genocide (TAG) and the National Lawyers Guild International Committee will file a historic legal complaint today against the U.S. government, alleging complicity in genocide in Gaza. The filing will be announced at a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., at 2 PM, with representatives from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) joining Palestinian-American plaintiffs who have lost family members in Gaza. The complaint, directed to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), includes notarized victim affidavits. It argues that the U.S. government has shielded itself from accountability for international crimes under its own legal system.
The legal action represents a significant escalation in efforts by American citizens to challenge U.S. policy regarding Israel's military operations in Gaza, which began in October 2023 following Hamas attacks on Israel.
"We are filing this complaint at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights because the U.S. government has effectively shielded itself from accountability for its international crimes under its own legal system, even for crimes against humanity and genocide," said Huwaida Arraf, lead attorney and one of the founders of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, in a statement published by CAIR.
The Plaintiffs: Personal Testimonies of Loss
The complaint features testimonies from Palestinian-Americans who have lost family members during the conflict in Gaza. Among them is Monadel Herzallah, who reports losing 43 family members in Gaza.
"We as Palestinians in the U.S. have sought accountability in federal court, but we also made a pledge to seek justice in any other possible venue available," Herzallah stated, according to CAIR's press release.
Another plaintiff, Tarik Kanaan, offered a personal account of witnessing the destruction of cultural and historical sites in Gaza.
"Over the course of this genocide, I have witnessed the systematic destruction of my history, heritage and parts of the beautiful culture of which I am a product," Kanaan said. "I have witnessed the bombing of hospitals and schools, churches, mosques, playgrounds, museums, cultural centers, libraries, and seaside promenades."
Susan Abulhawa, a Palestinian human rights activist and best-selling author who is also a petitioner in the complaint, emphasized her motivation: "I want to do everything in my power to put a stop to the unfathomable horrors that I witnessed in Gaza."
A Growing Grassroots Movement
TAG represents more than 3,000 taxpayers across the United States who support the complaint. The organization has been building momentum since at least April 2025, when it filed a report with the UN Human Rights Council after exhausting domestic legal remedies.
"We have gone through all the channels open to us in our effort to stop U.S. officials from using our tax dollars to fund genocide. We have called and met with these officials, peacefully protested, and taken them to federal court. To date, none of this has stopped them," Seth Donnelly, lead taxpayer plaintiff in an earlier federal lawsuit, told Truthout in April.
The complaint to be filed today has garnered endorsements from numerous civil society organizations, including the Arab Resource Organizing Center Action, Palestinian Youth Movement, U.S. Palestinian Community Network, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network, Black Alliance for Peace, Doctors Against Genocide, CODEPINK, Friends of Latin America, and Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.
The Legal Strategy: Seeking International Accountability
The decision to file with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights represents a strategic pivot after domestic legal efforts failed to produce the desired results. The IACHR is an autonomous organ of the Organization of American States (OAS). It has the authority to examine allegations of human rights violations in member states, including the United States.
Arraf explained the legal reasoning behind this approach: "While the United States actively enables and materially supports Israel's atrocities, it has constructed legal shields at home that deny victims even the chance to seek redress. The United States cannot continue to finance, arm, and politically cover for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide abroad while remaining immune from international scrutiny."
After the press conference, participants plan to file the complaint at the nearby IACHR headquarters and then march to the White House. The following day, plaintiffs will meet with Congressional offices to deliver copies of the complaint.
Medical Professionals Join the Cause
Dr. Nidal Jboor, co-founder of Doctors Against Genocide, will participate in today's press conference. In a statement released by CAIR, Dr. Jboor emphasized the medical community's perspective:
"We are doctors. We swore to protect life– not to fund its destruction. In our name, with our tax dollars, children in Gaza are being starved and bombed while food and medicine sit just five miles away. This isn't complicated. It is cruelty. One phone call could save thousands. Let the aid in. Let the children eat. Bread, not bombs. Those who commit or enable these crimes must be held accountable."
The involvement of medical professionals adds weight to the complaint, as international medical organizations, including Médecins Sans Frontières, have been cited in TAG's documentation of the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Ongoing Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis
The legal complaint comes amid an ongoing conflict that has resulted in significant civilian casualties and humanitarian concerns. International organizations, including the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the International Criminal Court (ICC), and human rights groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have raised serious concerns about the situation in Gaza.
TAG's earlier report to the UN Human Rights Council focused specifically on "violations of U.S. obligations by the U.S. Congress and executive in committing residents' tax dollars - including those of Palestinian-Americans whose families have been decimated in Gaza - to support what the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and International Criminal Court (ICC) as well as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Medecins Sans Frontieres, and many other human rights organizations have recognized as an unfolding genocide in Gaza."
Broader Implications for U.S. Foreign Policy
The complaint raises significant questions about U.S. foreign policy, particularly regarding military aid to Israel. Tariq Ra'ouf, described as a human rights activist and son of a major plaintiff, addressed this dimension in a statement:
"I did not consent to my tax dollars being used to commit violence against my own family; I did not consent to paying for the bullets and bombs that have killed 43 of my family members. It is a ludicrous and delusional expectation that we, the American taxpayers, will stand idly by while money that should be going to our education, healthcare and veterans is instead going on to fund more war crimes, and more deaths."
The legal action comes at a time when U.S. policy toward the Israel-Gaza conflict has faced increasing scrutiny both domestically and internationally.
CAIR's Involvement
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, has actively supported the legal complaint. Robert S. McCaw, CAIR's Government Affairs Department Director, will attend today's press conference.
CAIR has been involved in multiple initiatives related to the Gaza conflict. Just yesterday, the organization welcomed a ruling allowing a lawsuit over a North Carolina Confederate monument to "faithful slaves" to move forward, demonstrating its broader civil rights advocacy.
What Happens Next?
After today's press conference and filing, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights must determine whether to accept the complaint for consideration. The process could involve hearings, investigations, and recommendations to the United States government if accepted.
The plaintiffs plan to continue their advocacy efforts regardless of the IACHR's decision. They have meetings scheduled with congressional offices tomorrow to deliver copies of the complaint directly to lawmakers.
Today's filing represents a significant escalation in efforts by American citizens to challenge U.S. policy regarding Gaza through international legal mechanisms. By bringing together taxpayers, Palestinian-Americans who have lost family members, medical professionals, and civil rights organizations, the complaint seeks to establish accountability for U.S. support of Israel's military operations in Gaza. As the complaint moves forward through the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, it may set important precedents for how international bodies address claims of complicity in alleged human rights violations by major powers.
The press conference announcing the filing will take place today at 2 PM at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., followed by the formal submission of the complaint to the IACHR and a march to the White House.