U.S. Treasury Sanctions Network Over $2 Million Hamas Fundraising

The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on a Hamas military-wing member, two France-based individuals, and two charities. The government alleges these parties operated a six-year fundraising network that collected more than $2 million for the militant group.

According to the Treasury, the network raised these funds between 2020 and 2026, with $1.5 million collected following the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. While the network utilized purported humanitarian donations, it also moved hundreds of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency to Saleem Abdallah Saleem al-Zaq, a Gaza-based deputy battalion commander in the Al-Qassam Brigades.

The individuals identified by the Treasury as Faouzi Barika and Amel Oualid allegedly raised the funds in France before transferring them to Hamas. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that terrorist organizations rely on sophisticated financial facilitators and fraudulent schemes to exploit the public.

These sanctions freeze any assets held by the designated parties under U.S. jurisdiction and generally prohibit Americans from conducting business with them. Foreign financial institutions that knowingly facilitate significant transactions for these parties could also face secondary sanctions.

This action highlights an ongoing focus by U.S. authorities on the role of cryptocurrency within broader illicit financing networks. Treasury officials have previously noted that while crypto is used, groups like Hamas continue to rely primarily on conventional financial systems.

The move follows reports from last month suggesting that the Al-Qassam Brigades had advised donors to avoid direct transfers from Binance, instead recommending the use of other crypto services to move funds into a TRON wallet.