U.S. Strengthens Measures to Block Hamas Financing

The United States has announced a second round of sanctions against individuals and organizations linked to Hamas in an effort to cut off funding for the group. These measures come after Hamas launched an attack on Israel, killing over 1,400 people. The new sanctions focus on Iran’s role in providing financial, logistical, and operational support to Hamas. The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has designated a Hamas representative in Iran and members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard for sanctions.

The Deputy Treasury Secretary, Wally Adeyemo, traveled to London to gain support from Britain, a close ally, for the drive to disrupt Hamas funding. Both countries consider Hamas a terrorist organization. Adeyemo stated that these actions demonstrate the United States’ commitment to dismantling Hamas’s funding networks and preventing them from exploiting the international financial system.

The individuals targeted by the sanctions include Khaled Qaddoumi, a liaison between Hamas and the Iranian government, as well as officials from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Qods Force who are accused of training and assisting Hamas fighters. Several organizations, including the Iranian Bonyad Shahid (Martyrs Foundation), which is affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad, have also been sanctioned. The U.S. believes this group funnels millions of dollars through the Gaza-based Al-Ansar Charity Association for the families of militants, which ultimately serves as a recruiting tool for terrorist activities.

The sanctions freeze any U.S.-based assets owned or controlled by the named individuals and organizations. They also block financial transactions and prohibit the contribution of funds, goods, and services to them.