US Treasury imposes sanctions on six senior Hamas officials

The US imposes sanctions on six senior Hamas officials, the US Treasury Department says, adding that the sanctions target the group’s representatives abroad, a senior member of the Hamas military wing and those involved in supporting fundraising efforts for the group and weapons smuggling into Gaza.

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

“Treasury remains committed to disrupting Hamas’s efforts to secure additional revenue and holding those who facilitate the group’s terrorist activities to account,” he adds.

Among those targeted are Abd al-Rahman Ismail abd al-Rahman Ghanimat, a longtime member of Hamas’s military wing who is now based in Turkey, the Treasury says, accusing him of being involved in multiple attempted and successful terrorist attacks.

Two other officials based in Turkey, as well as Basem Naim, a member based in Gaza who has participated in Hamas’s engagements with Russia, and Ghazi Hamad, a leader authorized to speak publicly on behalf of the group who previously oversaw border crossings at Gaza were also among those targeted, according to the Treasury.