Arab Bank to contest Hamas financing ruling

Amman

JORDAN-BASED Arab Bank Group said it had begun legal steps to appeal against a US jury ruling which found it liable for financing Islamic militant group Hamas.

The US civil lawsuit brought against the lender has been described by lawyers as the first of its kind to reach trial. Jurors last month found it was liable for giving material support to Hamas and said it must compensate victims of two dozen attacks attributed to the group in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Chairman Sabih Masrii said the bank was preparing an appeal against the verdict that it described as unjust and exposed not just the bank but others to "enormous liability" for providin…