US charges top Hamas leaders over October 7 events

The Justice Department announced criminal charges on Tuesday against top Hamas leaders over the October 7 attacks in Israel.

The seven-count criminal complaint filed in federal court in New York City includes charges such as conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation resulting in death, conspiracy to murder US nationals and conspiracy to finance terrorism.

It also accuses Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah of providing financial support, weapons, including rockets, and military supplies to Hamas for use in attacks.

The complaint was originally filed under seal in February to give the US time to try to take into custody then-Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and other defendants, but it was unsealed on Tuesday after Haniyeh's death in July and other developments in the region lessened the need for secrecy, the Justice Department said.

The charges come as the White House says it is developing a new ceasefire and hostage deal proposal with its Egyptian and Qatari counterparts to try to bring about an agreement between Israel and Hamas to end the nearly 11-month war in Gaza.

A US.official, who was not authorized to talk publicly about the case and spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press there was no reason to believe the charges would affect the ongoing negotiations.

National security spokesman John Kirby said the recent “executions” of six hostages, including one American, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, by Hamas underscore "the sense of urgency” in the talks.

Yahya Sinwar was appointed the overall head of Hamas after the assassination of Haniyeh in Iran and sits atop Israel’s most-wanted list.

He was a long-serving Palestinian prisoner freed in an exchange of the type that would be part of a ceasefire and hostage release deal.

Other Hamas leaders facing charges include Marwan Issa, deputy leader of Hamas’ armed wing in Gaza, who helped plan last year's attack and who Israel says was killed when its fighter jets struck an underground compound in central Gaza in March; Khaled Mashaal, another Haniyeh deputy and a former leader of the group thought to be based in Qatar; Mohammed Deif, Hamas’ longtime leader who was thought to be killed in an Israeli air strike in southern Gaza in July; and Lebanon-based Ali Baraka, Hamas’ head of external relations.

Hamas has accused Israel of dragging out months of negotiations by issuing new demands, including for lasting Israeli control over the Philadelphi corridor along the border of Egypt and a second corridor running across Gaza.

Hamas has offered to release all hostages in return for an end to the war, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces and the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners, including high-profile resistance leaders — broadly the terms called for under an outline for a deal put forward by President Joe Biden in July.