The U.S. Sanctions Several Senior Hamas Officials

On Tuesday, November 20, the U.S. sanctioned six senior Hamas officials, including representatives of the militant group abroad, a senior member of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's military wing, and individuals involved in fundraising and arms smuggling to Gaza. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury emphasized in a statement that Hamas is still connected to officials who have apparent and seemingly legitimate roles within the group but essentially facilitate their terrorist activities or maintain their interests abroad while coordinating the transfer of money and goods to Gaza. Bradley Smith, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial and Terrorism, stated that the department remains committed to disrupting Hamas's efforts to generate additional revenue and holding accountable those who facilitate the group's terrorist activities. One of the sanctioned individuals, Abdulrahman Ismail Ghanimat, is a long-time member of Hamas's military wing. According to the U.S. Treasury statement, this individual, currently based in Turkey, founded a part of Hamas responsible for supporting the group's interests in the West Bank and has been involved in several successful and failed terrorist attacks, including the 1997 bombing of a café in Tel Aviv. Another sanctioned Hamas official, also based in Turkey, has participated in the financial facilitation of the group and had previously been imprisoned for his role in a 1993 attack in the West Bank that resulted in the death of an Israeli soldier. The U.S. Treasury's statement included several other names, including two Hamas officials who are members of the Hamas International Relations Council. Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas's political bureau who speaks on behalf of the group, is also among those sanctioned by the U.S. This action marks the ninth OFAC sanction since Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, targeting the group and its supporters. Previously, on the first anniversary of this attack on October 7, 2024, the U.S. sanctioned those who played significant roles in collecting foreign aid under the guise of 'charitable work' to finance Hamas and its terrorist activities. Hamas is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Israel, Canada, Japan, and several other countries around the world.