US looking to rally international sanctions against Hamas

Washington aims to build an international coalition to target the financing of Hamas, a top US Treasury official says.

“Our goal is to build a coalition with countries both in the region but also around the world to go after their financing,” Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo says on the sidelines of an event in Washington.

Adeyemo said that during a trip to Europe later this week, he plans to meet with “allies and partners and talk about what we can do in a coordinated way to go after Hamas’s financial network.”

The United States unveiled fresh sanctions last week on Hamas members, operatives and financial facilitators.

While the United States has previously issued a number of sanctions against Hamas, which Washington has designated a terrorist group, Adeyemo says the organization has tried to find ways around the restrictions — such as by using cryptocurrencies and new facilitators.

“The strategy that was used to counteract the Islamic State and other terrorist groups is the one we have to use here,” he says.