US Sanctions Hamas Financial Network Posing as Aid Group

The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions on Friday against a financial network accused of funneling over $2 million to Hamas, disguised as humanitarian aid for Gaza residents. The sanctions target a Hamas military wing operative, two France-based fundraisers, and two associated non-profit organizations. According to the Treasury Department, the network raised funds between 2020 and 2026, including $1.5 million collected after the October 7th attacks.

Central to this network is Salim Abdallah Salim al-Za'ak, identified as a deputy commander in Hamas's military wing in Gaza. The Treasury Department states he manages a system for transferring funds to the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades using money transfer services and digital wallets. His associates in France, Fawzi Briqa and Amal Walid, allegedly used the charities Association Baraka and Ensemble C Mieux to solicit public donations and transfer them to al-Za'ak, including hundreds of thousands of dollars in digital currency.

Al-Za'ak also reportedly worked as a photographer for Hamas's Ministry of Communications and was present at official events with senior Hamas officials. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated, "Terrorist organizations like Hamas rely on sophisticated financial facilitators and fraudulent schemes designed to exploit the public to sustain their operations." This action is part of a broader U.S. effort, led by the FBI and involving law enforcement agencies like the New York Police Department, to dismantle Hamas fundraising operations.

The sanctions freeze any assets of the designated individuals and entities within U.S. jurisdiction or held by U.S. persons, and prohibit transactions with them. These sanctions complement a federal indictment unsealed in New York, which accused al-Za'ak of transferring approximately $1.7 million to Hamas from donors in the U.S. and elsewhere who believed their money was for humanitarian aid. The indictment also implicated brothers Abdel and Omar Adhami, arrested in Louisiana, for their alleged role in fundraising for the organization under the guise of aid for "the poor and orphans in Gaza."