Washington Accuses Hamas Leaders of Terrorism, Including Sinwar

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The U.S. federal judiciary has charged six Hamas leaders with terrorism, according to declassified court documents on Tuesday. This is believed to be part of the pressure placed on Hamas regarding ceasefire negotiations in Gaza.

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The indictment, dated February 1 and issued in New York, lists the names of the six accused, including Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran on July 31. They face seven charges, including “conspiracy to provide material support for terrorist acts that resulted in death.”

In a video message, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that the six accused “have financed and led a decades-long campaign to kill American citizens and endanger U.S. security.”

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Among the six accused is Yahya Sinwar, who was the head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip at the time of the indictment and became the leader of the movement after Haniyeh‘s assassination.

Sinwar is considered the mastermind behind the unprecedented attack launched by Hamas on October 7 on southern Israel, sparking the ongoing war in Gaza.

In his message, the U.S. Attorney General clarified that the prosecution is targeting “Yahya Sinwar and other top Hamas officials for planning the mass violence and terrorism campaign that this organization has been conducting for decades, including the October 7 attack.”

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Garland added that “Hamas has killed and injured thousands of civilians in its attacks over the past three decades, including dozens of American citizens.”

He further mentioned that “over the weekend, we learned that Hamas killed six more hostages, including Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old American-Israeli citizen.”

An official from the Department of Justice, speaking anonymously, said that the delayed release of this indictment was aimed at allowing the U.S. to prepare for the arrest of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and other defendants. He added that “after Haniyeh‘s death and recent events in the region, there was no longer a need to keep these proceedings secret.”

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FBI Director Christopher Wray commented on the indictment’s release, stating: “Since the horrific attack by Hamas on October 7, the FBI has been working tirelessly to identify and pursue those responsible for these heinous crimes.”

He added that the FBI “is relentlessly investigating these attacks on civilians, including Americans, and will continue to do so.”

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Hamas‘ attack resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people on the Israeli side, most of them civilians, according to official data. Israel has vowed to “eliminate” the Hamas movement. Israeli airstrikes and ground operations in Gaza have killed at least 40,819 people, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health. The United Nations asserts that the majority of the victims are women and children.