The United States has announced sanctions against six Hamas leaders who have facilitated the Iran-backed terror group’s transfer of weapons and its terrorist activities. It is the ninth time the U.S. has imposed sanctions on Hamas since October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched its bloody attack against Israel, killing more than 1200 people, including 40 Americans, and seizing 251 people as hostages. The massacre by Hamas ignited the Israel/Hamas war in Gaza which has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians.
Two of the Hamas members designated in the current round of sanctions are based in Gaza: Basem Naim, a senior Hamas member who has engaged with Russia and been a part of Hamas delegations to other countries; and Ghazi Hamad, who served as the editor of Hamas propaganda outfits and is authorized to speak publicly on behalf of Hamas. In a statement, the U.S. Treasury Department noted that Hamad previously oversaw border crossings into Gaza – border crossings used to smuggle construction equipment and materials used to construct Hamas’ extensive underground tunnel network, intentionally interspersed among Palestinian civilians.
According to the Treasury Department, three of the designated Hamas leaders are now based in Türkiye. Abd al-Rahman Ismail abd al-Rahman Ghanimat is a long-time member of Hamas’s military wing, who has been involved in multiple terrorist attacks, including the 1997 daytime bombing of a café in Tel Aviv. Musa Daud Muhammad Akari facilitates the flow of funds from Türkiye into Gaza and the West Bank for Hamas and has been previously convicted of kidnapping and murder. Salama Mari is a Hamas official involved in financial facilitation for the group. He was previously imprisoned for his role in a 1993 attack in the West Bank that killed an Israeli soldier.
The 6th designated individual is Mohammad Nazzal who represents Hamas’s interest to a variety of international audiences and has provided support to the terrorist group for over 30 years.
“Treasury remains committed to disrupting Hamas’s efforts to secure additional revenue and holding those who facilitate the group’s terrorist activities to account,” said Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley Smith.
State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller warned that no country can conduct business as usual with Hamas. In a statement he declared, “We will continue to use the tools at our disposal to target those who perpetuate Hamas’s destabilizing activities.”
