US unseals 'terrorism' charges against Hamas leaders

The United States has charged leaders of the Palestinian group Hamas with a raft of "terrorism" offenses, federal court documents unsealed on Tuesday revealed.

Six men -- including Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar and late political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in late July in Tehran -- were named in the charging document dated February 1, accused of "conspiracy to provide material support for acts of terrorism resulting in death" along with six other counts.

The document also contained a request for the arrest of the individuals.

Hamas, which is designated a "terrorist organization" by Washington, launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

"The charges unsealed today are just one part of our effort to target every aspect of Hamas's operations. These actions will not be our last," US Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

"Yahya Sinwar and the other senior leaders of Hamas are charged today with orchestrating this terrorist organization's decades-long campaign of mass violence and terror -- including on October 7th."

Israel's campaign on the devastated territory has so far killed at least 40,819 people in Gaza, according to the territory's health ministry.

The UN rights office says most of the dead are women and children.

The October 7 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, according to Israeli figures.