JTF 10-7 -- U.S. Joint Task Force October 7

"The barbaric Hamas terrorists will not win—and there will be consequences."

"As Attorney General, I have had the solemn honor of meeting with several families of U.S. citizens whose loved ones were kidnapped by Hamas on that dark day."

"This task force will strengthen the Department’s resolve to achieve justice for these families and their loved ones as we continue to fight antisemitism in all its forms."

Attorney General Pamela Bondi 

 

"The victims of Hamas’s decades-long violent campaign of terrorism against Israel will always have the support of the U.S. government, and the Department will no longer permit illegal support of Hamas on our campuses and elsewhere in the homeland."

"Antisemitic acts of terrorism – whether here or abroad – will never go unpunished. This task force represents our unyielding commitment to those who have suffered at the hands of these brutal terrorists."

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche

 

"The FBI is committed to establishing the Joint Task Force October 7 to continue the FBI’s investigative and victim assistance efforts related to the horrific acts of terror committed by Hamas."

"Working with our federal and international partners, this task force is a collaborative initiative between agencies, and together we will work to accomplish our vital counterterrorism mission."

FBI Director Kash Patel

  

 

A powerful new task force designed to investigate the October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist kidnapping and murder of over 40 Americans in southern Israel was launched along with a mission to investigate growing antisemitic attacks in the United States, shortly after U.S. Attorney-General Pam Bondi took office. Many of its resources, unfortunately, have gone missing; numerous prosecutors and agents either fired or redirected to competing administration priorities, by the following year.

 

Even as the  U.S. is facing an increase in antisemitic threats linked to terrorist groups as a result of the war in Iran, the task force has been made virtually inoperative. National security experts in the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have, under President Trump's watch been  reassigned or dismissed. Many speaking on the condition of anonymity spoke of the enthusiasm at the announcement of the task force creation last year, with wide support within the Justice Department. However, few resources and time to fulfill the mission followed.  

"[The task force's structure] has evolved but its mission remains the same: Prosecute those who fund or otherwise materially support terrorism."

"Counterterrorism prosecutors remain assigned to [the task force] full time where they provide critical support and guidance to ongoing investigations."

U.S. Justice Department spokesman

 

"In coordination with partners throughout the Trump administration, the dedicated prosecutors and other attorneys of the [national security] division will continue to aggressively pursue those who seek to harm our nation, disrupt hostile foreign actors, and ensure that the full weight of the law is brought to bear against anyone who threatens the safety and security of the United States."

Justice Department spokesperson

Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Israeli-American   Reuters

 

Across the country, in cities like San Francisco, Dallas and New York among others, FBI field offices were assigned to work on the murder and abduction investigations; assigned to the cases full time was an analyst at FBI headquarters. According to Mary McCord, formerly of the National Security Division of the FBI, there is no need for the Justice Department to establish task forces to investigate terrorism. Even so, the year-long dismantling of the group reflects consequences of national security experts' departure. 

"When a person is assigned to this task force, they have the requisite experience to be involved in a counterterrorism investigation."

"When that person is fired, it shows that the higher goal is retribution and retaliation, even at the expense of counterterrorism investigations."

Mary McCord former acting head, FBI National Security Division 

Under the Biden administration, then-attorney general Merrick Garland filed charges against six senior Hamas leaders in September 2024. Many Justice Department officials, among them career staffers, felt the investigations were proceeding too cautiously, urging more aggressive proceedings -- by the time President Trump took office, leading to the Oct 7 joint terrorism task force, the intention was to speed matters to a conclusion: "The barbaric Hamas terrorists will not win -- and there will be consequences", vowed Pam Bondi. 

 

Some initial successes were attributed to the task force last year, credited with arresting and indicting a Palestinian man from Gaza living in Louisiana, allegedly involved in the Oct 7 attack, now awaiting trial.  And then the group began to unravel. One by one key members of the task force were fired from the Justice Department, resulting from involvement with investigations of Donald Trump prior to his taking office the second time around.

 

As for the FBI agents assigned to the task force, carrying out competing priorities of the administration have stretched their involvement with it increasingly thinly. Around-the-clock immigration enforcement and investigations of 'left-wing terrorism' have called them to a prioritization of duties. Some were deployed to other investigations, with the Justice Department simply not replacing them. The broader problems that engulf a department diminished by firings, buyouts, resignations and reassignments have had their inevitable impact on the task force. 

 

FBI Director Kash Patel, firing about a dozen agents and staff members with ties to an investigation of Mr. Trump, included agents specializing in addressing threats from Iran and its terrorist proxies, even as the Justice Department defends its expertise in national security, stating it remains more than capable of protecting the nation from violent attacks. 

 

Photographs of the hostages kidnapped by Hamas on 7 October 2023, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on 12 October 2025. Photograph: Urman/Sipa/Shutterstock

"The United States reaffirms its unwavering support for Israel’s right to exist, to defend itself, and to ensure the safety of its people. As the United States marks this tragic anniversary and honors the victims, we renew our resolve to prevent such evil from ever taking place again."

"Since October 7, 2023, we have also witnessed a troubling surge in antisemitism threatening Jewish communities worldwide. As I have said, there can be no compromise with antisemitism. We continue to condemn all acts of terrorism and antisemitism against Israel, and we call on the international community to stand with Israel during this painful anniversary."

Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State