US attorney general launches Oct 7 task force, cracks down on Hamas and US-based supporters

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi launched the Joint Task Force October 7 (JTF 10-7) on Thursday to investigate and pursue criminal charges against Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, UNRWA and others responsible for the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack in southern Israel.

“The Department of Justice, led by the National Security Division, is conducting ongoing investigations into the perpetrators of these heinous acts, Hamas leadership, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, and U.S.-based individuals and entities that provide funding to Hamas,” stated a memorandum from Bondi’s office. 

The task force will offer assistance to Oct. 7 attack victims and the families of hostages in Gaza, investigate Hamas supporters in the United States – along with funders of the terror group – and pursue other means of going after the terrorism in collaboration with both U.S. federal agencies and the State of Israel.

JTF 10-7 will also investigate and prosecute hate crimes and terror-related civil rights violations linked to Hamas supporters inside the U.S., including on college campuses.

The task force, to be staffed with FBI agents, analysts and linguists, will also support Israel’s efforts to hold Hamas accountable, and as part of this mission, the Trump administration will help seek the arrest and extradition of Hamas leaders.

“The Federal Bureau of lnvestigation…shall staff JTF 10-7 with agents, analysts, and linguists who have significant experience investigating terrorism matters. The FBI shall maintain consistent and adequate levels of staffing and associated resources dedicated to the task force until the work of JTF 10-7 is complete,” according to the memorandum.

JTF 10-7 will operate under the U.S. Deputy Attorney General’s Office with participation from the National Security Division, the FBI, and U.S. Attorneys' Offices, coordinating with the Department of Defense and the Treasury Department.

The establishment of the task force comes after Texas Senator Ted Cruz alleged that the Biden administration had been secretly funding Hamas.

“They secretly poured literally uncountable hundreds of millions of dollars toward Hamas, including tens of millions of cash they could never account for,” Cruz said. “Throughout the Biden admin, they knew the money they were pouring into Gaza would benefit Hamas. They did it anyway.”

According to the Daily Caller, as quoted by The Jerusalem Post, “more than $1.3 billion in US taxpayer funds distributed during the Biden presidency ended up funding groups that either sponsored or directly committed terrorism. The largest share went to Palestinian organizations.”

In July 2024, Senator Ted Cruz criticized the Biden administration for its financial policies toward Iran and Hamas.

“Biden-Harris officials poured hundreds of millions of dollars into Hamas-controlled areas, which Hamas seized, and they ultimately allowed $100 billion to flow towards the Ayatollah in Iran, much of which was also funneled toward terrorism,” Cruz said.

“In a very real and direct way, the Biden-Harris administration funded the October 7th terrorist attack, which was the largest one-day mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust.”