Washington DC, Oct 18 (EFE).- The United States Department of Treasury on Wednesday imposed sanctions on 10 key financial facilitators associated with the Hamas militia group across several countries, including Sudan, Turkey, Algeria, and Qatar.
Those sanctioned include asset managers in a secret Hamas investment portfolio, a financial facilitator based in Qatar with close ties to the Iranian regime, a key Hamas commander, and an operator of a virtual currency exchange in Gaza, according to the Treasury Department’s statement.
It added that the sanctions were imposed in close coordination with Washington’s regional partners and allies to root out Hamas’s sources of revenue in the Palestinian West Bank, Gaza and the broader region.
“The United States is taking swift and decisive action to target Hamas’ financiers and facilitators following its brutal and unconscionable massacre of Israeli civilians, including children,” said US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
According to the Treasury, Hamas maintains a global investment portfolio that generates an estimated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, with affiliated companies operating in various countries, including Sudan, Algeria, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.
“We will continue to take all steps necessary to deny Hamas terrorists the ability to raise and use funds to carry out atrocities and terrorize the people of Israel,” Yellen said.
She added that the Treasury has a long history of “effectively disrupting terror finance,” and will continue coordinating with “allies and partners to track, freeze, and seize any Hamas-related assets in their jurisdictions.”
To date, the Treasury has targeted nearly 1,000 individuals and entities linked to terrorism and terrorist financing associated with the Iranian regime and its proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and other Iran-aligned terrorist groups in the region, it said.
The US Treasury took the action days after Hamas initiated a multi-pronged attack from Gaza into Israel, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,400 Israelis.
Israel has responded with the intense shelling of the Gaza strip, leading to the loss of around 3,000 Palestinian lives. EFE
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