U.S. prosecutors have charged Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and five other prominent figures of the Palestinian militant group with multiple offenses, including terrorism, in connection with the October 7 attack on Israel, as announced by the Department of Justice.
This indictment, which was unsealed recently, represents the initial effort by the U.S. to hold Hamas accountable for the violence that led to the deaths and kidnappings of hundreds of civilians, including American citizens.
The indictment had been filed under seal in February against Sinwar; Ismail Haniyeh; Mohammad Al-Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif; Marwan Issa; Khaled Meshaal; and Ali Baraka. They face serious charges, including conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, conspiring to finance terrorism, and conspiring to use weapons of mass destruction that resulted in death. The allegations detailed in the indictment encompass a range of attacks spanning several decades.
The charges specifically relate to the defendants’ significant roles in the planning, support, and execution of the terrorist acts committed by Hamas in Israel on October 7, which the DOJ described as the culmination of a long-standing campaign of terrorism and violence against Israel and its allies.
Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized the severity of the situation in his statement, declaring that the Justice Department has charged Sinwar and other senior Hamas leaders for their long-term involvement in financing and orchestrating a campaign aimed at murdering American citizens and jeopardizing U.S. national security. Garland pointed out that the accused were involved in the killings of nearly 1,200 people, including over 40 Americans, along with the kidnapping of hundreds of civilians.
Garland also noted that recent reports indicated Hamas had murdered six individuals they had previously kidnapped and held captive for nearly a year, including Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old Israeli American. He affirmed that the investigation into Goldberg-Polin’s murder and all other terrorist acts against Americans committed by Hamas would continue. “These charges unsealed today are just one part of our effort to target every aspect of Hamas’ operations,” Garland stated, adding that this would not be the last action taken against the group.
