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Washington, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul issued the following statement on the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) decision to press criminal charges against Hamas’ terrorist leaders for the brutal murders of American citizens. 

“As a former federal prosecutor, I support DOJ’s efforts to criminally charge Hamas’ terrorist leaders for the brutal murders of American citizens. But the administration needs to use every single tool at its disposal to hold Hamas accountable for these atrocities and to compel Hamas to release the rest of the hostages. This year, Congress enacted the Hamas and Other Palestinian Terrorist Groups International Financing Prevention Act, and the Strengthening Tools to Counter the Use of Human Shields Act. I urge the administration to swiftly roll out new sanctions designations under these laws targeting Hamas and its backers all over the world. The vicious murders of Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five other hostages last week have made it urgently clear that we are running out of time – we need as much pressure as possible on Hamas and its sponsors to get the hostages home.”

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