US unveils new sanctions in push to cut off funding for Hamas
FILE - The U.S. Treasury Department building at dusk in Washington.
The U.S. expanded its sanction effort against people and companies tied to funding Hamas, as the country continues its support for Israel’s war against the militant group.
The new sanctions, announced Friday, target individuals and companies in Iran, Sudan and Turkey. Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government.
“Today’s action underscores the United States’ commitment to dismantling Hamas’s funding networks by deploying our counterterrorism sanctions authorities and working with our global partners to deny Hamas the ability to exploit the international financial system,” Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in a statement.
“We will not hesitate to take action to further degrade Hamas’s ability to commit horrific terrorist attacks by relentlessly targeting its financial activities and streams of funding,” he added.
Among the individuals targeted includes Khaled Qaddoumi, described as Hamas’s liaison to the Iranian government, as well as a number of Iranian military members who trained Hamas militants.
Also sanctioned was the Al-Ansar Charity Association, which the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said funds the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a Hamas-affiliated militant group.
The sanctions continue U.S. support for Israel and commitment to back Israel’s goal to wipe out the group. President Biden has requested $14 billion in new support for Israel.
The new sanctions Friday expand on a previous group of sanctions enacted earlier this month that targeted individuals and companies in Sudan, Turkey, Algeria, Qatar and Gaza.