The News
The US Justice Department on Tuesday charged several Hamas leaders with kidnapping and murdering American citizens during the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel.
It marks the first step by the DOJ to prosecute the Gaza-based group for orchestrating the attacks, which killed almost 1,200 people, including 40 Americans.
Unlike its response to the war in Ukraine — where the DOJ mobilized an entire team to investigate war crimes — the Justice Department has been largely silent on the Gaza war, despite experts agreeing that it had a strong case against Hamas in US courts.
“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 video statement. “These actions will not be our last.”