- US charges Hamas leaders over 7 October attack on Israel
- Charges for murder of US citizens, conspiracy to finance terrorism, and the use of weapons of mass destruction
- Those charged: Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh, Marwan Issa, Khaled Mashaal, Mohammed Deif, and Ali Baraka
US charges Hamas leaders over 7 October attack on Israel
The US has charged Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and several other key figures in connection with the deadly attack on Israel on October 7th 2023. The Justice Department announced indictments against six Hamas members, including charges for the murder of US citizens, conspiracy to finance terrorism, and the use of weapons of mass destruction.
This marks the first move by US law enforcement to hold the ringleaders of the October 7th attack accountable, although some of the individuals charged, including Sinwar, are either dead or in hiding. The other Hamas leaders charged include Ismail Haniyeh, Marwan Issa, Khaled Mashaal, Mohammed Deif, and Ali Baraka. The charges also cover decades of alleged Hamas attacks, alongside the more recent assault on southern Israel.
Hamas attacked southern Israel on 7 October, killing about 1,200 people and taking another 251 hostage. More than 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then in Israel’s ongoing military campaign, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.