US Accuses Hamas Leaders of Terrorism and Other Acts in October 7 Attack

(Patria) - The United States has accused leaders of the Palestinian group Hamas of a series of "terrorist" crimes, federal court documents revealed on Tuesday, AFP reported.

Six men, including Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran on July 31, were named in a February 1 indictment and charged with "conspiracy to provide material support for terrorist acts resulting in death," along with six other counts.

Other accused Hamas leaders include Marwan Issa – deputy leader of Hamas's armed wing in Gaza who helped plan last year's attack, Khaled Mashaal – another deputy to Haniyeh and former leader of the group, Mohammed al-Masri, and Ali Baraka. The document also contained an arrest warrant for the individuals.

Hamas, which Washington calls a "terrorist organization," launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, sparking a brutal war in the Gaza Strip, controlled by the Palestinian group. The Hamas attack killed 1,205 people, mostly civilians, and took hostages. Israel's campaign against Hamas has so far killed at least 40,819 people in Gaza, mostly women and children.

"The charges unsealed today are just part of our efforts to target every aspect of Hamas's operations. These actions will not be our last," said U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.

"Yahya Sinwar and other senior Hamas leaders are charged today with orchestrating this terrorist organization's decades-long campaign of mass violence and terror – including on October 7," he added in a statement.