US charges against Hamas leaders - powerful signal against terror Israeli FM says

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has announced that Israel expresses gratitude to the US for its decision to charge leaders of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas with murder, calling it a "powerful signal against terror."

"I wish to thank the United States, our greatest ally and friend, for the decisive action in indicting Hamas leaders on terrorism charges. This sends a strong message against terror, especially after Hamas viciously murdered 6 hostages in Gaza. Pressing these charges reaffirms our shared commitment to justice and the safety of our citizens," Katz wrote on X, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

The US has charged Yahya Sinwar, the new head of Hamas political bureau, along with other high-ranking members of the radical Palestinian movement, with the murder of the US citizens during the incursion into Israeli territory on October 7, 2023. This information comes from documents released on September 4 in the e-database of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Sinwar and other Hamas leaders, including some commanders of the group's military wing who have been killed, face seven charges, including terrorism, conspiracy to murder US citizens, and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction resulting in fatalities. The situation in the Middle East sharply escalated after armed supporters of the radical group Hamas infiltrated Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023. 

This incursion was marked by the killing of residents in border communities and the capture of over 240 hostages. The radicals claimed the attack was in response to actions by Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. In response, Israel announced a full blockade of Gaza, launched airstrikes on the Strip and targeted areas in Lebanon and Syria, and subsequently initiated a ground operation in the enclave. Clashes are also occurring in the West Bank.