US charges Hamas leader with terrorism over October 7 attack

The United States has charged Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and other militants over last year's October 7 terrorist attack in Israel.

Six individuals were charged with "conspiracy to provide material support for acts of terrorism resulting in death," conspiracy to murder US nationals, and five other counts.

The Department of Justice filed the criminal complaint at a federal court in New York City, which was unsealed on Tuesday.

"The charges unsealed today are just one part of our effort to target every aspect of Hamas' operations," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

"These actions will not be our last."

Who was charged?

The case is likely to be largely symbolic given that Sinwar is believed to be hiding out in tunnels and three other defendants are believed to have been killed.

Hamas' former leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Iran in July. Meanwhile, Israel says it killed Hamas' former military chief Mohammed Deif in July and his deputy in Marwan Issa earlier in March.

Two other defendants listed were former Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal and Hamas' head of external relations Ali Baraka.

"As outlined in our complaint, those defendants — armed with weapons, political support, and funding from the government of Iran, and support from (Hezbollah) — have led Hamas’s efforts to destroy the State of Israel and murder civilians in support of that aim," Gerland said.

US officials said at least one person, whom they did not name, could be brought to New York for prosecution.

zc/rm (AP, Reuters, AFP)