(AP) — The Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority routinely killed civilians in Israel, a lawyer for victims of terror attacks told a jury Tuesday at the opening of a civil trial.

Attorney Kent Yalowitz made the remarks in a packed Manhattan federal courtroom as an 11-year-old lawsuit came to life with victims of the 2001 to 2004 terror attacks looking on.

Yalowitz introduced some of the plaintiffs sitting in court to the jury, saying they were victimized by suicide bombings sanctioned by the PLO.

"The evidence will show that killing civilians was standard operating procedure for the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority," he said.

The lawyer described the pain of victims of seven shootings and bombings in or near Jerusalem, attacks which killed 33 people and wounded hundreds more, including scores of U.S. citizens.

Payroll records show that the Palestinian Authority "embraced these crimes" by continuing to pay security officials who organized the attacks, even after they were convicted of murder, he said.

The 2004 lawsuit sought a billion dollars from the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization, saying they were behind the attacks.

The two groups have argued that the case does not belong in U.S. courts.

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