US DOJ, FBI announce new task force to target Hamas over Oct 7 attack

The Justice Department on Monday announced the creation of a task force to investigate Hamas for its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel as well as potential civil rights violations and acts of antisemitism by anyone supporting the militant group.

Agents and prosecutors participating in Joint Task Force October 7, or JTF 10-7, will investigate and look to bring charges against Hamas militants directly responsible for the rampage in southern Israel, the department said.

"The barbaric Hamas terrorists will not win and there will be consequences, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement announcing the task force.

The attack killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and Hamas took 251 hostages. It touched off an Israeli counteroffensive that has destroyed vast areas of Gaza, displaced most of the population and killed over 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants.

The Biden administration's Justice Department unsealed charges last September against Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and other senior militants in connection with the attack on Israel.

The impact of the case is mostly symbolic given that Sinwar was killed by Israeli forces weeks later and several other defendants are believed now to be dead.

The new task force will take over those pending charges, the department said.

The announcement of the task force comes as President Donald Trump has issued what he has called a last warning to Hamas to release all remaining hostages held in Gaza. His administration has targeted universities over a perceived failure to squelch antisemitism on campus as well as foreigners who participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

The Justice Department announced this month that it was investigating whether Columbia University concealed illegal aliens on its campus, and federal immigration agents arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and Columbia graduate student.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said he revoked Khalil's permission to be in the US because of his role in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia, saying they had riled up anti-Jewish sentiment and amounted to support for Hamas.

Khalil's lawyers have challenged his detention in court.

Monday's announcement said the task force, made up of prosecutors and FBI officials, also will investigate civil rights violations and potential acts of terrorism by anyone providing support or financing to Hamas.

It did not define what sort of support would be illegal, though federal law makes it a crime to provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organisations such as Hamas.

The Justice Department said FBI agents will be embedded with Israel's National Bureau of Counter Terror Finance.