America News Agency

The defendants are accused of, among other things, conspiracy to commit a deadly terrorist attack on October 7 last year, according to the indictment dated February 1. The document has since been kept secret to allow the United States to arrest the defendant, the Justice Department said.

The US has charged Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and several other key figures in the Palestinian group in connection with the deadly attack in Israel on October 7 last year.

Other Hamas leaders indicted include former leader Ismail Haniyeh; Marwan Issa, the deputy head of the group’s armed wing; Khaled Meshaal, who led the group outside Gaza and the West Bank; Mohammed Deif and Ali Baraka.

US Attorney General Merrick Garland said they were responsible for "funding and directing a decades-long campaign to kill American citizens and endanger the security of the United States". The group also "led Hamas' efforts to overthrow the state of Israel and to kill civilians in pursuit of that goal".

An unnamed Justice Department official told the BBC's US partner CBS News that the charges were filed in February but were kept secret until Tuesday in case the US could arrest any of the defendants.