The Justice Department announced a dedicated task force to pursue prosecution of Hamas attackers and affiliates responsible for the October 7 massacre.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday launched an initiative named Joint Task Force October 7, dedicated to prosecuting those responsible for Hamas’ Iranian-backed terrorist attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, that killed approximately 1,200 Israeli civilians and resulted in the abduction of more than 200 hostages. According to a DOJ news release, the task force will pursue justice for the victims, including 47 U.S. citizens killed in the assault and eight Americans among those abducted to the Gaza Strip.
One American, Edan Alexander, who volunteered in the Israeli military, is still believed to be held by Hamas. The bodies of four other American citizens — Itay Chen, 19; Omer Neutra, 21; Judith Weinstein, 70; and her husband, Gadi Haggai, 72 — are presumed to be held by Hamas as well.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated, “The barbaric Hamas terrorists will not win — and there will be consequences. As attorney general, I have had the solemn honor of meeting with several families of U.S. citizens whose loved ones were kidnapped by Hamas on that dark day.” Bondi emphasized that the task force, which she created on her first day in office, will “strengthen the department’s resolve to achieve justice for these families and their loved ones as we continue to fight antisemitism in all its forms.”
The task force’s objectives include identifying, charging, and prosecuting in the United States the direct perpetrators of the October 7 attack, and pursuing charges against Hamas leadership for their roles in these and other terrorist acts. It also aims to hold accountable individuals and entities supporting or financing Hamas and related Iranian proxy groups, and to investigate acts of antisemitism committed by such organizations.
Leadership of the task force will include a senior counterterrorism prosecutor from the Justice Department’s National Security Division (NSD), a senior FBI special agent as commander, and an FBI intelligence analyst as deputy commander. The team will also comprise attorneys from the NSD, Civil Rights Division, Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and assistant U.S. attorneys from the Eastern District of Virginia, along with support from the Office of International Affairs.
The FBI will coordinate the task force’s efforts with other law enforcement and intelligence agencies, including international partners via the FBI’s legal attaché office in Israel. FBI agents will also be embedded with Israel’s National Bureau of Counter Terror Financing.
“The FBI is committed to establishing the Joint Task Force October 7 to continue the FBI’s investigative and victim assistance efforts related to the horrific acts of terror committed by Hamas,” FBI Director Kash Patel stated. “Working with our federal and international partners, this task force is a collaborative initiative between agencies, and together we will work to accomplish our vital counterterrorism mission.”
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