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U.S. Sanctions Charitable Fronts for Hamas
This month marks the devastating attack by Hamas against Israel that killed more than 1,200 men, women and children, including 46 Americans and citizens of more than 30 countries. It was the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. Girls and women were sexually assaulted. “The depravity of Hamas’s crimes is almost unspeakable,” declared Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement.
Hamas also took 254 people hostage that day, including 12 Americans. Four of those Americans – Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Itay Chen, Judy Weinstein, and Gad Haggai – were murdered by Hamas. Four were released through an agreement the United States negotiated last November, but four remain in captivity in Gaza: Edan Alexander, Keith Siegel, Sagui Dekel-Chen, and Omer Neutra. There are also an estimated 97 other hostages who remain held in Gaza today.
Secretary Blinken urged the international community to “stand steadfast in the face of terrorism and violent extremism, including the sources of support for groups like Hamas. It must condemn Iran’s support for Hamas and other terrorist groups in the region that are responsible for so much death, destruction, and instability.”
As the world marks the anniversary of Hamas’ savagery, the United States is continuing to take action to degrade Hamas’ external and domestic fund raising. “To that end,” said State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller, “we are imposing sanctions on a network of international financial supporters of Hamas, a Gaza-based financial institution controlled by Hamas, and a prominent Hamas supporter along with his businesses.”
These individuals and entities are among the most prominent supporters of Hamas and seek to manipulate the suffering of innocent Palestinian civilians for their malign objectives. They play critical roles in providing funds for Hamas terrorist activities, often under the guise of charitable work. As of early 2024, Hamas may have received as much as $10 million a month through such donations. Hamas considers Europe to be a key source of fundraising and has maintained representation across the continent for many years in part to raise funds through sham charities.
“Our action today exposes these sham charities, which purport to provide humanitarian assistance but instead funnel funds to Hamas,” said Spokesperson Miller. “This makes it more difficult for legitimate humanitarian organizations to secure financial services. We will continue to disrupt the ability of terrorist financiers to abuse the non-profit sector.”