The US Treasury Department and the United Kingdom have jointly imposed a third round of sanctions against Hamas-linked individuals over the group’s attack on Israel on October 7, ANI news agency reported.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stated that the country would continue working with allies, including the UK, to deprive Hamas of the ability to “raise and use funds to carry out its atrocities.”
“Hamas’s actions have caused immense suffering and shown that terrorism does not occur in isolation. Together with our partners, we are decisively moving to degrade Hamas’s financial infrastructure, cut them off from outside funding, and block the new funding channels they seek to finance their heinous acts.”
The Treasury reported that Hamas operated primarily through Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iranian support has enabled Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist activities to include the transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars in financial assistance, as well as the supply of weapons and operational training.
Nasser Abu Sharif serves as the PIJ representative to Iran, the group’s primary financier. Iran’s IRGC has trained PIJ fighters to build and develop missiles in Gaza.
According to the US release, top Hamas officials include senior member and co-founder Mahmoud Khaled Zahhar (Zahhar), who worked closely with Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the organisation, and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT).
“Additionally, Mu’ad Ibrahim Muhammed Rashid al-Atili is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Hamas.”
All of their property and interests in property located in the United States or controlled by Americans are blocked as a result of the Treasury Department’s ruling. Moreover, the institution has blocked any entity that is directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 per cent or more owned by one or more of the blocked persons.
The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.
The Treasury will not stop providing funds to terrorist organisations, but will continue to facilitate the flow of legitimate humanitarian aid.
