Europe Sanctions Several Individuals and Entities for Financing Hamas; Quds Force Member Among Those Sanctioned

On Friday, July 8, the European Union sanctioned three companies and six individuals, including a member of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, for providing financial assistance to the groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The names of the sanctioned individuals include Ali Morshed Shirazi, Youssef Ahmad Alyan, Ahmad Sharif Abdullah Odeh, Zuhair Shamalkh, Ismail Barhoum, and Maher Rabhi Abi. Ali Morshed Shirazi, a member of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has also been sanctioned by the United States. The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on key officials linked to Hamas and its financial networks, including Ali Morshed Shirazi, on October 27, 2023. Ali Morshed Shirazi has been identified as someone who provides military training to members of Islamic Jihad, Hamas, and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Hamas group and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad are listed as terrorist organizations by the United States. The European Union has also sanctioned three development and investment companies named Zawaya Group, Larry Kam, and Al-Zawaya Group as part of the financial support network for Hamas and Islamic Jihad. As a result, the assets of the sanctioned individuals and companies will be frozen, and the six sanctioned individuals will face travel bans to EU countries. The United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization. The U.S. Treasury Department has warned about the financial activities of terrorist organizations supported by the Iranian government. The White House stated that additional sanctions against the Islamic Republic will be imposed under the National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act. The UN Security Council meeting has become a scene of confrontation between Israel and the Islamic Republic, with threats and criticisms from representatives of both countries. The U.S. has sanctioned several individuals and entities linked to Hamas and several members of the IRGC.