US Sanctions French Charities, Individuals Alleged to Fund Hamas

The United States imposed sanctions on Friday against three individuals and two France-based charities, which it claims are part of a network that raised over $2 million for Hamas. The U.S. Treasury Department stated that these designations expose a sophisticated, years-long funding structure that funneled more than $2 million to Hamas through deceptive charities and cryptocurrency channels, demonstrating the group's ability to adapt its fundraising methods to evade detection.

Among those sanctioned is Salim Abdullah Salim Al-Zaq, accused of being a Hamas member overseeing the financial network and working with the group's media office. Also sanctioned are Fawzi Breika, 35, and Amal Walid, 39, who are linked to the French charities "Association Baraka" and "Ensemble C'est Mieux," respectively. Both charities were also included in the sanctions.

According to the Treasury Department, Breika and Walid operate from France, managing charities allegedly dedicated to raising funds for humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza. Breika resides in Gironde, France, where his association was founded in 2023, while Walid established "Ensemble C'est Mieux" in the Loire region in 2024.

The Treasury Department reported that the network raised over $2 million between 2020 and 2026, with $1.5 million collected after Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. In a separate announcement, the U.S. Department of Justice revealed that French domestic intelligence had arrested Breika, Walid, and another French individual from the Breika family, though the date of the arrests and any potential prosecution were not specified.