The U.S. Department of Justice charged Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and other senior militants for the October 7, 2023, rampage in Israel.
The federal complaint in New York City includes charges of conspiracy to support a terrorist organization, murder, and using weapons of mass destruction, AP reported.
Iran and Hezbollah are also accused of providing financial support and weapons, including rockets, for the deadly Hamas attack.
Despite being largely symbolic, the charges mark the first American effort to formally target Hamas’ top leadership.
Sinwar, the overall head of Hamas, is believed to be hiding in tunnels, with some defendants already thought to be dead.
He took power following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Iran’s capital Tehran, before the inauguration ceremony of the new President of the Persian republic Masoud Pezeshkian
Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized ongoing U.S. efforts to dismantle Hamas’ operations, stating these actions won’t be the last.
In May, The International Criminal Court (ICC) applied for arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar as well as other key members on both sides for charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity over the attacks on October 7 and the months after.
Khan detailed to CNN: “The charges against Sinwar, Haniyeh, and al-Masri include extermination, murder, taking of hostages, rape, and sexual assault in detention.”
On the Israeli side, the same source explained that charges include: “Causing extermination, causing starvation as a method of war, including the denial of humanitarian relief supplies, deliberately targeting civilians in conflict.”