The Justice Department on Tuesday announced charges against the leader of the Hamas militant organization and a half-dozen others associated with the terrorist group over their alleged involvement in the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel that left nearly 1,300 people dead and more than 250 taken hostage, most of whom have since been killed.

The charges against Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and other senior militants in connection with the Oct. 7, 2023, rampage in Israel mark “the first effort by American law enforcement to formally call out the masterminds of the attack,” The Associated Press reported.

The seven-count federal criminal complaint filed in New York City includes charges such as conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization resulting in death, conspiracy to murder U.S. nationals, and conspiracy to finance terrorism. The complaint also accuses Iran and Hezbollah, based in Lebanon, of supplying Hamas with financial support, weapons—including rockets—and military supplies for use in attacks, the AP noted.

The case’s impact may be largely symbolic, as Sinwar is reportedly hiding in tunnels in Gaza, and the Justice Department believes that three of the six defendants are now deceased. However, officials anticipate further actions as part of a broader effort to target Hamas, a militant group designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. in 1997. Over the years, Hamas has been associated with numerous deadly attacks on Israel, including suicide bombings, the newswire noted further.

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The complaint, initially filed under seal in February to allow time for the U.S. to apprehend then-Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and other defendants, was unsealed on Tuesday following Haniyeh’s death in July and other regional developments that reduced the necessity for secrecy, according to the Justice Department.

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

The charges come as the White House is working with Egyptian and Qatari officials on a new proposal for a cease-fire and hostage deal aimed at resolving the nearly 11-month conflict between Israel and Hamas, the AP noted.

A U.S. official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, stated that there was no reason to believe the charges would impact the ongoing negotiations. National security spokesman John Kirby highlighted that the recent “executions” of six hostages, including American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, by Hamas emphasize the “sense of urgency” in the negotiations.

“We are investigating Hersh’s murder, and each and every one of the brutal murders of Americans, as acts of terrorism,” Garland noted further in his statement. “We will continue to support the whole of government effort to bring the Americans still being held hostage home.”

Sinwar, who became the head of Hamas following Haniyeh’s killing in Iran, is at the top of Israel’s most-wanted list. He is believed to have spent much of the past 10 months in tunnels beneath Gaza, and his contact with the outside world remains uncertain. Sinwar was previously a long-serving Palestinian prisoner released in a swap similar to those discussed in potential cease-fire and hostage release negotiations, the AP noted, adding that the DOJ also charged Haniyeh.

Other Hamas leaders facing charges include Marwan Issa, the deputy leader of Hamas’ armed wing in Gaza, who was involved in planning last year’s attack and was reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike on an underground compound in March. Khaled Mashaal, another deputy of Haniyeh and former leader of the group, is believed to be based in Qatar. Mohammed Deif, Hamas’ long-time military leader, was thought to have been killed in a July airstrike in southern Gaza. Additionally, Ali Baraka, who heads Hamas’ external relations from Lebanon, is also facing charges, noted the AP.

Merissa Khurma, the Middle East program director at the Wilson Center, described the charges as “yet another tool” for the U.S. to address the threat Hamas poses to both the United States and its ally Israel.

“If Sinwar is found and brought to justice for planning the October 7 attacks, it would be a significant win for the U.S. and for all those who lost loved ones,” she told the AP.