U.S. charges senior Hamas leaders over October 7 attack in Israel

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed criminal charges against several senior Hamas leaders in connection with the 7 October 2023, attack in Israel that resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people, including at least 43 American citizens. The charges, which were unsealed in a federal court in New York on Tuesday, include conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, resulting in death.

Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized that these charges are part of a broader effort to dismantle Hamas' operations and ensure accountability for the atrocities committed. "These actions will not be our last," Garland stated in a video announcement.

The charges target key figures within Hamas, including Yahya Sinwar, the group's leader in Gaza, and Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in July 2024. Others named in the indictment include Marwan Issa, Khaled Meshaal, Mohammed al-Masri, and Ali Baraka. The Justice Department has noted that while some of these leaders have already been killed, others remain at large, and efforts to bring them to justice are ongoing.

This development follows the recent confirmation of the death of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin in Gaza, a tragic event that has intensified calls for accountability. President Joe Biden and other U.S. officials have vowed to hold Hamas leaders responsible, with Biden declaring, "Make no mistake, Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes."

(Sources: AP, Agence France-Presse, CNN, CBS News)