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American, Canadian and Israeli victims of Hezbollah terrorist attacks are suing two Lebanese banks.

The 85 plaintiffs, who were injured or whose family members were killed by Hezbollah rocket attacks against northern Israel in 2006, filed the lawsuit July 11 in the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan against the American Express Bank Ltd. and the Lebanese Canadian Bank SAL.

The lawsuit asks the court to award the victims $650 million in compensatory damages as well as more in punitive damages.

The plaintiffs allege that the banks transferred millions of dollars to Hezbollah between 2004 and 2006, and that Hezbollah used those funds to prepare for and carry out the rocket attacks on Israel. — jta