Jefferson Reporter

U.S. Senators Katie Britt and Ted Budd, along with ten other colleagues, have urged the Biden-Harris Administration to authorize a reward of up to $25 million for information leading to the capture or disruption of Hamas leaders. The request was made on September 26, with an expectation of a response by October 7. However, as of now, there has been no reply from the administration.

The senators stated in their letter: “We write requesting the immediate authorization of a reward of up to $25 million under the State Department’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program for information that leads to the arrest of, locates, or disrupts the financial support for Yahya Sinwar and other Hamas leaders or operatives responsible for the murder and kidnapping of Americans on October 7, 2023."

They emphasized the importance of using all available resources to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza and bring those responsible to justice. The RFJ program was established by Congress through the 1984 Act to Combat International Terrorism. The senators argued that offering rewards aligns with congressional intent.

The federal criminal complaint against Yahya Sinwar and others includes charges related to terrorism, murder conspiracy, and sanctions evasion from events on October 7th last year.

One year ago today marked a tragic event where over 1,200 people were killed by Hamas in Israel, including more than 40 American citizens. Several Americans remain hostages in Gaza. Hamas has been recognized as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. since 1997.