WASHINGTON – The Justice Department has brought charges against six Hamas officials regarding the attack on Israel that occurred on October 7. They face accusations including conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens, supporting a terrorist group, and the unlawful use of explosives and weapons of mass destruction.

The six individuals named in the charges revealed on Tuesday are: Yahya Sinwar, the head and main planner of the October 7 attack; Khaled Meshaal; Ali Baraka; and Ismail Haniyeh, Mohammad Al-Masri, and Marwan Issa, who have all been reported or confirmed dead.

Haniyeh, Hamas’ political leader, was killed in Tehran in July. Issa, the third-highest leader within Hamas, was reportedly killed in March. Al-Masri, a key planner of the October attack, was believed to have died in an Israeli airstrike in June.

Attorney General Merrick Garland noted that these charges are aimed at holding accountable those involved in a long-term effort to target Americans and jeopardize U.S. security. He described the October 7 incident as the most extensive and violent act of terrorism the group has conducted, which included the slaughter of entire families and the use of sexual violence as a weapon against women.

“On October 7, nearly 1,200 individuals, including over 40 Americans, were murdered by Hamas terrorists, alongside the kidnapping of hundreds of civilians,” Garland said. “This was the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.”

The charges were initially filed on February 1 but were kept confidential to allow for the possibility of capturing Haniyeh and other leaders, as noted by a Justice Department representative. With his death and other changes in the situation, it became unnecessary to maintain the seal on these charges.

Following the recent deaths of six additional hostages over the weekend, Garland indicated that federal authorities are looking into the murder of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old Israeli-American.

“We are thoroughly investigating Hersh’s killing, along with every other brutal murder of Americans as acts of terrorism,” Garland stated. “We remain committed to supporting all governmental efforts to rescue the Americans still held hostage.”

A total of at least 43 American citizens died in the October 7 attack.

According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, over 40,000 individuals have died from Israeli bombings and conflicts since October 7. Ongoing negotiations facilitated by the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt aim to establish a cease-fire to halt the 10-month war and secure the return of surviving hostages.

The individuals facing charges include:

• Sinwar, also known as Abu Ibrahim, has been Hamas’s leader in Gaza since around 2017 and co-founded the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing responsible for the attacks.
• Meshaal, known as Abu al-Waleed, chaired the Hamas Politburo from 2004 to 2017 and is now overseeing its operations outside Gaza and the West Bank.
• Baraka serves as Hamas’ liaison for national relations abroad and was its representative in Lebanon from 2011 to 2019.
• Haniyeh led Hamas’s Politburo from 2017 until his suspected death on July 31 and had previously served as deputy chairman and leader in Gaza. He mainly operated out of Turkey and Qatar.
• Al-Masri, also called Mohammed Deif and al Khalid al-Deif, held the position of commander of the al-Qassam Brigades from around 2002 until his presumed death on July 13.
• Issa, known as Abu Baraa, was the deputy chief of the al-Qassam Brigades from roughly 2007 until he was reportedly killed on March 10.