Justice Department, FBI launch Oct. 7 task force

Attorney General Pam Bondi established a joint task force seeking justice for victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, according to a Monday statement from the Department of Justice. The task force, known as JTF 10-7, will fight all forms of anti-Semitism and deliver consequences to Hamas for their barbarism, Bondi said in the news release. The FBI will also take part in JTF 10-7 and help achieve the team’s essential counterterrorism mission, FBI Director Kash Patel said in the release.

How can the DOJ and FBI investigate an attack that took place on foreign soil? The DOJ noted that Hamas killed 47 Americans during the massacre that killed around 1,200 people. Eight Americans were also among the nearly 250 people kidnapped by the terror group, the DOJ added. The task force will take the lead on pursuing charges against Hamas leadership previously filed by the Biden administration, the statement said. JTF 10-7 aimed to extradite terrorists involved in the plot to the United States for prosecution. The team will also investigate terror acts and rights violations perpetrated by groups supporting and financing Hamas and other Iranian proxies, according to the department. JTF 10-7 plans to work with foreign counterparts in Israel and install FBI agents in Israel’s bureau on counter-terrorism funding.

Dig deeper: Read my report on the DOJ’s anti-Semitism task force launching investigations into dozens of U.S. colleges.