DOJ Has a New Directive in Response to October 7

Katie Pavlich | February 10, 2025 3:00 PM

After more than year of the Biden Justice Department offering sympathy to the pro-terrorism Palestinian cause in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, when dozens of Americans were murdered and taken hostage in the Gaza Strip, newly minted Attorney General Pam Bondi is taking a different approach.

"This memorandum establishes Joint Task Force October 7 ('JTF 10-7') and related initiatives to prioritize seeking justice for victims of the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack in Israel, addressing the ongoing threat posed by Hamas and its affiliates, and combatting antisemitic acts of terrorism and civil rights violations in the homeland," Bondi published in a memo last week.

"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," the memo continues.

The task force will pursue the following according to DOJ:

Pursing criminal charges, including capital cnmes where applicable, against the perpetrators of the October 7 attack
Providing services to the victims of the October 7 attack and coordinating as appropriate with others to facilitate the return of hostages;
Seeking the arrest and extradition of Hamas leadership charged in the complaint docketed as United States v. Haniyeh, No. 24 Mag. 438 (S.D.N.Y.);
Investigating and prosecuting acts of terrorism, antisemitic civil rights violations, and other federal crimes committed by Hamas supporters in the United States, including on college campuses
Investigating and prosecuting those responsible for funding Hamas; and
Supporting efforts by the Israeli government, Department of Defense, and Department of Treasury to pursue non-criminal responses to the October 7 attack and other terrorist activities by Hamas