US indicted Hamas leader and militants for October 7 massacre in Israel

The U.S. Department of Justice has indicted Hamas leader Yahya Singhwar and other militants. The reason was the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

This is reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to the Associated Press.

It is noted that this is the first attempt by American law enforcement to officially identify the organizers of the attacks.

Thus, the seven-count criminal case filed in a New York federal court includes charges of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to murder US citizens, and conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction that caused death.

Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah are also accused in the case. They are suspected of providing financial support and weapons, including the missiles used in the attack.

The impact of this case may be mostly symbolic, given that Sinwar is believed to be hiding in tunnels and three of the six defendants named in the complaint are already dead, according to the Justice Department.

The lawsuit was originally filed under seal in February to give the United States time to try to take then-Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh into custody. However, the document was declassified on Tuesday, several weeks after Haniyeh's death and due to other developments in the region.

“The charges filed today are just part of our efforts to combat all aspects of Hamas. These actions will not be the last,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a video message.

The criminal charges came as the White House said it was working with its Egyptian and Qatari counterparts to develop a new ceasefire proposal and hostage deal to try to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas and end the nearly 11-month war in Gaza.

Author - Dmitriy Levchenko, 04/09/2024