In a landmark decision, a New York jury on Monday found the Jordan-based multinational Arab Bank liable on 24 counts of supporting terrorism by transferring funds to Hamas.

The verdict came after the jury deliberated for nearly two full days after a month-long trial at the eastern district court in Brooklyn that followed a federal law suit filed in 2004.

“This is an enormous milestone,” said Gary Osen, a lawyer on the team representing around 300 American relatives and the victims of 24 attacks carried out in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Arab Bank

“For the first time a financial institution is liable for supporting terrorism. The question now is to see how other financial institutions, regulators will deal with their banks and this decision,” he added.

Shand Stephens, lawyer for Arab Bank, poured scorn on the verdict, saying it should not have been found on “evidence that thin.”

The Bank said it had strong grounds to appeal. “This verdict is going to be reversed,” Stephens told reporters.

A second trial would have to determine how much the Bank will be liable to pay in damages.

District Judge Brian Cogan indicated it would be a long road ahead. “This case is a long way from over,” he told the court.

The defense argued there was no evidence Arab Bank executives supported terrorism and disputed the allegation that the institution knowingly made payments to designated terrorists.

But the plaintiffs said the bank transferred more than $70 million to an alleged Saudi terror entity, charities they claim were a front for Hamas and 11 globally-designated terrorist clients.

-‘Rolodex full of Hamas customers-

The bank had “a Rolodex full of Hamas customers,” and lied in its defense, the plaintiffs said in their concluding arguments.

“They’re guilty,” prosecution lawyer Mark Werbner said in his concluding arguments on Thursday.

He said the bank must have known that its helping Hamas would mean “bad things were going to happen and that’s enough to make them responsible.”