The United States Department of the Treasury (DOT) imposed a fifth round of sanctions on Hamas since its terrorist attacks on Israel. This action targets networks of Hamas-affiliated financial exchanges in Gaza, their owners and financial facilitators that have played roles in fund transfers such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). In a similar move, the British and Australian governments will be placing sanctions on key Hamas officials and facilitators.“Hamas has sought to leverage a variety of financial transfer mechanisms, including the exploitation of cryptocurrency, to channel funds to support the group’s terrorist activities,” said US Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson in a Monday press release. “Treasury, in close coordination with our allies and partners, will continue to leverage our authorities to target Hamas, its financiers and its international financial infrastructure.” This action builds on the DOT’s designations with the British government in November and December to target Hamas leaders and financiers and its actions to target sources of support and financing. The people and entities targeted now are being designated pursuant to an executive order that targets terrorist groups and their supporters. Over the last several years, the DOT said the Shamlakh family has become the main endpoint for funds transferred from the IRGC to Hamas and PIJ. It added Gazan financial facilitator Zuhair Shamlakh has facilitated funds transfers in the tens of millions of dollars from Iran to Hamas. Shamlakh has used his companies Al-Markaziya Li-Siarafa and Arab China Trading Company to channel funds for Hamas military wing Izz al-Din al Qassam Brigades. He has been facilitating funds transfers to terrorist groups in Gaza since 2017. DOT said Al-Markaziya is owned by him and managed by his family members. When it comes to its relationships with terrorists, it alleged it has been involved in facilitating tens of millions of dollars from the IRGC to Hamas and PIJ. In April, the Israeli Defence Ministry’s National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing seized 189 cryptocurrency accounts associated with three Palestinian currency exchanges — one of which was Al-Markaziya. Arab China Trading Company is based in Gaza and owned by him. Gazan financial facilitators Ahmed, Alaa, and Imad Shamlakh serve as key players in the financial flow from Iran to Hamas and PIJ, using their ties to money changing companies. Ahmed is one of the owners or directors of Al-Markaziya, and Alaa is the sole employee and officer of its branch in Turkiye. Zuhair, Ahmed, Alaa and Imad have been designated under the executive order as having assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support to Hamas. Al-Markaziya and Arab China Trading Company have been sanctioned for being owned, controlled or directed by Zuhair. Because of these sanctions, the DOT said all property and interests in it of sanctioned people that are in the US or in the possession or control of Americans are blocked and must be reported to it. Additionally, it said any entities with an ownership stake of at least 50% by the blocked people are blocked. Non-American financial institutions and other people engaging in certain transactions or activities with sanctioned entities and individuals could expose themselves to sanctions risk or be subject to an enforcement action. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services to blocked people or receiving any help from them. DOT concluded by saying it is committed to removing people from the sanctions list consistent with the law. It said the goal of these sanctions is to bring about positive changes in behaviour. US President Joe Biden said in October the violence Hamas has inflicted on Israel is “terrorism, but sadly it’s not new.” READ MORE: Biden says he stands with the Israeli government“This attack has brought to the surface painful memories and scars left by a millennia of antisemitism and genocide on the Jewish people,” said Biden. “So in this moment, we must be crystal clear: We stand with Israel.”
