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US imposes sanctions on six senior Hamas officials

November 20, 2024 at 9:30 am

The US Department of the Treasury stands in Washington, D.C., US. [Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg]

The US has imposed sanctions on a number of senior officials of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas. The move was announced by the US Treasury Department, Quds Press has reported.

“The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating six senior Hamas officials, including the terrorist [sic] group’s representatives abroad, a senior member of the Hamas military wing, the Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, as well as individuals involved in supporting the terrorist [sic] group’s fundraising efforts and weapons smuggling into Gaza.”

OFAC explained that the targeted official in the movement’s military wing is the veteran leader Abd Al-Rahman Ismail Abd Al-Rahman Ghanimat, who currently lives in Turkiye. The US accuses him of being responsible for numerous attacks against Israeli occupation state targets.

In addition to Ghanimat, the sanctions cover Basem Naim, Ghazi Hamad, Musa Akari, Salama Mari and Mohammad Nazzal.

Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith claimed that, “Hamas continues to rely on key officials who seemingly maintain legitimate, public-facing roles within the group, yet who facilitate their terrorist [sic] activities, represent their interests abroad, and coordinate the transfer of money and goods into Gaza.”

The sanctions were announced on the 411th consecutive day of the Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip supported by the US and Europe. Israel continues to bomb civilians with impunity and block the entry of humanitarian aid, leading to malnutrition and starvation, especially in northern Gaza.

The Israel occupation forces have killed 44,000 Palestinians, mainly women and children, and wounded at least 104,000 others. An estimated 11,000 are missing, presumed dead, under the rubble of their homes and other civilian infrastructure destroyed by the apartheid state.

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