The United States has charged leaders of the armed Palestinian group Hamas with a raft of "terrorism" offenses, federal court documents unsealed on Tuesday revealed.
Six men — including Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar and late political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in late July in Tehran — were named in the charging document dated February 1, accused of "conspiracy to provide material support for acts of terrorism resulting in death" along with six other counts.
The document also contained a request for the arrest of the individuals.
Hamas, which is designated a "terrorist organization" by Washington, launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, triggering the brutal ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by the Palestinian group.
"The charges unsealed today are just one part of our effort to target every aspect of Hamas's operations. These actions will not be our last," US Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.
"Yahya Sinwar and the other senior leaders of Hamas are charged today with orchestrating this terrorist organization's decades-long campaign of mass violence and terror — including on October 7th."
Israel's campaign against Hamas has so far killed at least 40,819 people in Gaza, according to the territory's health ministry. The UN rights office says most of the dead are women and children.
The October 7 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians and including hostages killed in captivity, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
