U.S. Unseals Terrorism Charges Against Senior Hamas Leaders Amid Ongoing Conflict
The U.S. Department of Justice has unsealed a series of terrorism-related charges against six Hamas leaders, accusing them of orchestrating and financing a long-running campaign against American citizens and national security. Filed in New York federal court in February, the indictment targets Hamas officials, including current and former leaders Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh, and Mohammad Al-Masri. The charges cover acts dating back to 1997, culminating in the October 7 attack on Israel that left nearly 1,200 people dead, including over 40 Americans. The announcement comes as international pressure mounts to end the conflict between Israel and Gaza.
The indictment names six Hamas leaders spread across the Gaza Strip, Qatar, and Lebanon: Ismail Haniyeh, the former chairman of the Hamas politburo; Yahya Sinwar, the current leader of Hamas; Mohammad Al-Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif, the former commander of al-Qassam Brigades, Marwan Issa, the former deputy commander of al-Qassam Brigades; Khaled Meshaal, head of the Hamas diaspora office; and Ali Baraka, head of Hamas’s unit for national relations abroad.
After the charges were filed, Issa and Deif were killed in Israeli airstrikes, and Haniyeh was assassinated during a visit to Hamas patron Iran.
Israeli commanders believe most-wanted Sinwar, 61, is hiding in a labyrinthine maze of tunnels that Hamas has built under the Gaza Strip over the years.
The Oct. 7 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people overall, mostly civilians and including and hostages killed in captivity, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
Israel's campaign against Hamas has, so far, killed at least 40,819 people in Gaza, according to the territory's health ministry.
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