FBI interviews October 7 victims in investigation of Hamas and its financiers

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is preparing a new indictment against the Hamas terrorist group, with the aim of targeting its financing structure. As part of this effort, the FBI is interviewing some of the victims of the October 7 attacks in Israel.

This information was reported by Bloomberg this week. According to the U.S. media outlet, which cites sources close to the investigation, the FBI has assembled a panel that includes former hostages and families of U.S. citizens killed in Israel.

According to Bloomberg sources, the FBI's goal is not only to support the terrorism case, but also to expand the prosecution to include the funding sources of the Hamas terrorist group. This includes examining any support from countries such as Iran and Qatar, and determining if the funding involved U.S. financial institutions or assets. The investigation involves prosecutors in New York and Washington working with the Justice Department's Counterterrorism Section.

Iran and Qatar have been the two biggest supporters of the terrorist group Hamas since its inception. Iran has viewed Hamas as a key tool to destabilize its main regional enemy, Israel. Meanwhile, Qatar has maintained an ambiguous position with the terrorist group, using this relationship to work as an intermediary in negotiations and to gain a geopolitical advantage. 

In its foreign policy, Qatar has consistently supported some of the more radical Islamist branches, such as the Muslim Brotherhood, which is among the international supporters of the Palestinian terrorist group. Along with Qatar, other countries in the Arabian-Persian Gulf have also been under investigation for being sources of funding for Islamic groups or for laundering money on their behalf. 

While there are currently numerous international and State Department sanctions against the Iranian regime, the sanctions affecting Qatar are much fewer and more targeted. When these sanctions occur, they typically impact private sectors and individuals rather than the Qatari government.