Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter{beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security   The Big Story  Iran, North Korea and Syria sued over Hamas’ Oct. 7 attackThe Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is going to court seeking to hold Iran, North Korea and Syria responsible for their role in aiding Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel.© AP The suit was filed on behalf of 100 Americans or their families seeking to hold the trio of countries responsible for “the deaths, physical and emotional injuries, and hostage-takings Hamas caused during its barbaric rampage.”   Such suits, the ADL noted, are often ignored by the countries targeted in the litigation.  But the effort is a potential pathway to secure compensation for victims through the Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, and it’s also a move by the ADL to create a “record of Hamas’ heinous brutality perpetrated with the support of these state sponsors of terrorism.”  “Iran is the world’s leading state sponsor of antisemitism and terror — along with Syria and North Korea, they must be held responsible for their roles in the largest antisemitic attack since the Holocaust. We are doing everything possible to hold Hamas terrorists and those who support them accountable, including putting all of ADL’s weight behind this effort,” Jonathan Greenblatt, the group’s CEO, said in a release.  While foreign governments are generally considered beyond the jurisdiction of U.S. courts, the terrorism exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act allows for courts to review whether countries should face civil damages in cases where they’ve sponsored attacks. Iran, North Korea and Syria are all designated state sponsors of terrorism under U.S. law. Though the foreign governments typically do not respond, judges continue to weigh whether the plaintiffs have met the legal burden associated with proving their connection with terrorist activities.  “The lawsuit lays out clear, convincing evidence that Iran and Syria and North Korea all provided material support to Hamas that enabled the terrorist group to commit the atrocities that they committed on Oct. 7, including material support, tactical support, financial support,” James Pasch, ADL’s litigation director, told The Hill. Pasch said plaintiffs will argue Iran, North Korea and Syria provided material, financial and tactical support to Hamas. The complaint filed to the court lays out long histories between these state sponsors of terrorism and Hamas, but also more recent cooperation surrounding the Oct. 7 attack.  It’s likely to be a low bar to clear, with Iran claiming Hamas as one of its proxy groups and part of its “axis of resistance.”   Where North Korea is concerned, an investigation by The Associated Press published in October said Hamas likely fired weapons produced by North Korea during its Oct. 7 assault. Pyongyang previously denied that it was linked to the attack.   Read the full report at TheHill.com. Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.   Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  How policy will affect defense and national security now and inthe future:  Gaza hospital director alleges abuse after release from Israeli custody Israel released 55 Palestinian prisoners Monday, including the director of Gaza’s al-Shifa Hospital who alleged that he was abused during his eight-month detention. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, who was detained by Israeli forces while escorting patients with the backing of the United Nations from the hospital during Israel’s initial raid of al-Shifa in November, said he was held without ever being charged and that prisoners …  Full Story   US military raises terror alert at European bases: ReportsMultiple U.S. military bases in Europe are under a heightened state of alert for a terrorist attack against U.S. military personnel or facilities, multiple media outlets reported Sunday. The bases include the U.S. Army garrison in Stuttgart, Germany, where the U.S. European Command headquarters is located, which raised its alert level to Force Protection Condition “Charlie” on Sunday, two U.S. officials told CNN. …  Full Story   US struggles to deter Houthi threat as crisis spiralsAfter half a year of conflict, the U.S. has failed to deter the Houthi rebels from attacking merchant ships in the Red Sea as the Yemeni fighters continue to sink commercial boats and disrupt global trade, posing an increasingly difficult challenge for the far larger American military.   Repeated U.S. bombardments on Houthi positions have done little to stop the Iran-backed group that has managed to employ advanced …  Full Story   US assault ship sent to eastern Mediterranean amid Israel-Hezbollah tensionsThe Pentagon has sent the Navy amphibious assault ship USS Wasp with Marines aboard to the eastern Mediterranean amid rising tensions between Hezbollah and Israel along Lebanon’s border, U.S. European Command confirmed Friday. The Wasp and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit — which includes about 2,200 personnel — entered the Mediterranean Sea on Wednesday “on a scheduled deployment to the US Naval Forces Europe-Africa area …  Full Story   On Our Radar Upcoming things we're watching on our beat:  Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith will speak at Brookings Institution on force design tomorrow at 10 a.m. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will hold a press conference at NATO Headquarters in Brussels to preview the NATO summit in Washington at 7 a.m. Friday. In Other News Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Live updates: Supreme Court rules Trump has presumptive criminal immunity for official acts In a monumental decision Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that former presidents enjoy a presumption of criminal immunity for official acts while in the White House, handing a win to former President Trump. The move is likely to delay Trump’s federal election subversion case in Washington, D.C. … Full Story   On Tap Tomorrow Events in and around the defense world:  The Association of the U.S. Army will hold a discussion on “Cyber and Information Advantage,” with James Rubin, special envoy and coordinator for the U.S. State Department’s Global Engagement Center, Young Bang, principal deputy assistant Army secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology, and Maj. Gen. Paul Stanton, head of U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence, at 8 a.m. Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies will host a webinar on “Want Better Results in Ukraine? Senior Leader Views,” with retired Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, former supreme NATO commander, and retired Air Force Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian, former commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Africa, at 10 a.m. Heritage Foundation will have a lecture on “the importance of Taiwan and what can be done to counter the threat of the People’s Republic of China,” with Matt Pottinger, former deputy national security adviser, at 11 a.m.  What We're Reading News we've flagged from other outlets: Jury finds Air Force general not guilty of sexual assault, but lesser charges lead to loss of pay, reprimand (Military.com) Zelenskyy appeals to West to relax targeting limits for Ukraine as glide bombs hammer front line (The Associated Press) Amid stolen valor accusations, ex-commanding officer confirms he issued Rep. Troy Nehls' second Bronze Star (The Texas Tribune) Trending Today Two key stories on The Hill right now: Ocasio-Cortez vows to file impeachment articles against Supreme Court justices Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) announced Monday that she will soon file impeachment articles against at least one justice on the Supreme Court … Read more 7 Democrats being floated as potential Biden replacements President Biden’s campaign is intensely trying to quell speculation that he may drop out of the 2024 race following his lackluster debate performance … Read more  Opinions in The Hill  Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: How Ukraine can create a credible deterrent against Russia outside of NATOVets deserve better than confusion on defense funding and VA staffing  The Assange saga is over. What have we learned?  You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Defense and National Security newsletter Subscribe