U.S. charges Hamas leaders for Oct. 7 attacks

The Department of Justice on Tuesday unsealed a complaint against six senior Hamas leaders. Together they face charges of terrorism, murder, conspiracy, and sanctions evasion in connection with their alleged roles in planning and carrying out the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel that led to the deaths of more than 1,200 people.

Who was named in the complaint? The defendants are Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar, Mohammad Al-Masri, Marwan Issa, Khaled Meshaal, and Ali Baraka. Haniyeh died during a July 31 airstrike in Tehran. Al-Masri and Issa were also killed earlier this year, according to the Justice Department. The others remain at large.

If the crimes took place in Israel, why are the defendants charged in a U.S. court? More than 40 Americans were among those murdered by Hamas on Oct. 7, according to the Justice Department. Hundreds more Americans were kidnapped and sexually assaulted, the DOJ said. Over the weekend, Israel recovered the bodies of six hostages who were executed by Hamas, including 23-year-old Israeli American Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

U.S Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a video statement Tuesday evening accusing the Hamas leaders of using weapons, political support, and Iranian-supplied funding to murder Israeli civilians, including American citizens. The Justice Department added that the Oct. 7 attacks were only the latest in a decadeslong campaign led by Hamas generally—and these defendants in particular—to kill Americans.

Dig deeper: Read Marc LiVecche’s commentary for WORLD Opinions about the murders of six Israeli hostages over the weekend.