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Justice Department charges six Hamas leaders, including Sinwar, with terrorism

‘We are investigating Hersh’s murder, and each and every one of Hamas’ brutal murders of Americans, as an act of terrorism,’ said Attorney General Merrick Garland

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Department of Justice on August 23, 2024 in Washington, DC.

The Justice Department on Tuesday unsealed terrorism charges against six senior leaders of Hamas, including Yahya Sinwar, citing their roles in the Oct. 7 terror attacks and their aftermath, including the murder last week of American-Israel hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was executed by Hamas along with five other Israeli hostages.

“The Justice Department has charged Yahya Sinwar and other senior leaders of Hamas for financing, directing, and overseeing a decades-long campaign to murder American citizens and endanger the national security of the United States,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. 

“On October 7th, Hamas terrorists, led by these defendants, murdered nearly 1200 people, including over 40 Americans, and kidnapped hundreds of civilians,” he continued. “This weekend, we learned that Hamas murdered an additional six people they had kidnapped and held captive for nearly a year, including Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23 year old Israeli American. We are investigating Hersh’s murder, and each and every one of Hamas’ brutal murders of Americans, as an act of terrorism. The charges unsealed today are just one part of our effort to target every aspect of Hamas’ operations. These actions will not be our last.”

The other leaders charged are: Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Iran in July; Mohammed Deif, who was assassinated by Israel in Gaza in July; Marwan Issa, killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza in March; Khaled Meshaal, head of Hamas’ diaspora office; and Ali Baraka, head of Hamas’ relations abroad.

A Justice Department official said the charges were filed on Feb. 1, but kept under seal in case any opportunity arose to arrest any of the defendants, CNN reported, adding that the seal was lifted following Haniyeh’s death and “recent developments in the region.”

Following the announcement, Israeli police officials slammed the Israeli prosecution for not having already done the same, Israeli news outlet Kan reported.

“While in Israel the prosecution is still dragging its feet — in the U.S. they have already filed an indictment based, among other things, on evidence compiled here in Israel,” Kan quoted a police source as saying.

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