The Department of Justice has announced unsealed charges against multiple senior members of Hamas’ leadership, including Yahya Sinwar, for their connection to October 7th.
“The charges unsealed today are just one part of our effort to target every aspect of Hamas’ operations,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a video statement. “These actions will not be our last.”
The criminal complaint was filed in the Southern District of New York. Six members of Hamas’ leadership where named on the list.
Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar, Mohammad Al-Masri, Marwan Issa, Khaled Meshaal, and Ali Baraka are the defendants facing seven accusations total. These include allegations related to terrorism, conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens, and conspiracy to utilize weapons of mass destruction.
The indictment is also the first official criminal step by the Department of Justice to hold foreign individuals accountable for the attack that killed over 1,200 civilians.
“As of the date of this Complaint, at least 43 American citizens were among those murdered, and at least ten American citizens were taken hostage or remain unaccounted for,” prosecutors stated.
