US charges Hamas leaders over October 7 attack on Israel

The attack prompted an Israeli offensive on Gaza, leading to the deaths of more than 40,800 Palestinians and widespread devastation in the region.

The seven-count criminal complaint includes allegations of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation, conspiracy to murder US nationals, and to use weapons of mass destruction, resulting in death . The complaint also implicates Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah in providing financial support, weapons, and military supplies to Hamas.

Attorney General Merrick Garland stated, “As outlined in our complaint, those defendants – armed with weapons, political support, and funding from the government of Iran, and support from [Hezbollah] – have led Hamas’s efforts to destroy the state of Israel and murder civilians in support of that aim. The charges unsealed today are just one part of our effort to target every aspect of Hamas’s operations. These actions will not be our last. Yahya Sinwar and the other senior leaders of Hamas are charged today with orchestrating this terrorist organization’s decades-long campaign of mass violence and terror – including on October 7th.”

The criminal complaint details decades of alleged Hamas attacks, including the unprecedented assault last October. However, out of six, three of those named in the indictment are already deceased.

The living defendants are Sinwar, believed to be hiding in Gaza; Khaled Meshaal, based in Doha and leading the group’s diaspora office; and Ali Baraka, a senior Hamas official in Lebanon. The deceased include former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, military wing chief Mohammed Deif, and deputy military commander Marwan Issa, all reportedly killed in Israeli strikes earlier this year.

The Justice Department initially brought charges against the six men in February, but kept the complaint sealed in hopes of capturing Haniyeh. Following his death, the charges were made public.

The criminal complaint describes the 7 October massacre as the “most violent, large-scale terrorist attack” in Hamas’s history, detailing the brutality involved, including rape, genital mutilation, and close-range machine-gun shootings.

Garland also announced that US authorities are investigating the killing of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old Israeli-American taken hostage by Hamas on 7 October. His death, along with five other hostages, was confirmed over the weekend. “We are investigating Hersh’s murder, and each and every one of Hamas’s brutal murders of Americans, as an act of terrorism,” Garland said.

These charges come as the White House is reportedly working with Egyptian and Qatari counterparts on a new ceasefire and hostage deal proposal to end the nearly 11-month conflict in Gaza. National Security spokesperson John Kirby emphasised the urgency of the talks, especially after the recent execution of the six hostages.

In July, Hamas and Israel agreed in principle to a three-phase plan proposed by President Joe Biden, but Hamas claims that new Israeli demands have altered the proposal, including Israeli control over key corridors in Gaza. On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he would not make any “concessions” or “give in to pressure” to end the war.

(With Inputs from AP & Reuters)

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