Fourteen Republican senators have asked senior U.S. law enforcement officials for a congressional briefing on efforts to investigate and prosecute Hamas and other terrorist networks tied to the attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) led the letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel, requesting updates on the work of the Joint Task Force October 7 and its future priorities.
The task force, established by the U.S. Department of Justice in February 2025, works to pursue accountability for those responsible for the Hamas-led assault and bring justice for the approximately 1,200 people, including 47 United States citizens, killed and 250 taken hostage by the terrorist group.
“Ensuring that the perpetrators of this attack are brought to justice is a necessary step in not only upholding the rule of law but protecting American interests,” the senators wrote, asking for details on the number of individuals or entities held accountable, the status of ongoing investigations and any recommendations for congressional action.
The lawmakers also pointed to what they described as a recent uptick in antisemitic violence and terrorism worldwide, including in the United States, underscoring the continued threat posed by extremist networks.
Thus far, the task force’s work has led to at least one individual being charged under its auspices. Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub Al-Muhtadi, 33, a native of the Gaza Strip, was arrested in Louisiana last October for his alleged involvement in Hamas’s massacre.
According to a recent Washington Post report, the initiative has lost key prosecutors amid broader staffing changes within the Justice Department, raising questions about its momentum. A department spokesperson told the newspaper that the task force “has evolved,” but that its core mission remains prosecuting those who fund or materially support terrorism.
The senators urged continued use of coordinated prosecutions, asset seizures and intelligence-sharing to disrupt terrorist financing and logistics networks, including those not directly linked to the Oct. 7 attack.
“The events of Oct. 7 underscored the ongoing and evolving nature of the global terrorist threat and the risks it poses to the United States, our allies and our national security,” the letter reads.
In addition to Crapo, signatories included Sens. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.).
