The Harris-Biden administration on Monday imposed sanctions on “fake charities” and fundraising networks that claimed to be raising money for Gaza civilians but were actually funneling proceeds to Hamas.
The Treasury Department said in a statement that it had sanctioned the Italian-based charity organization Palestine People’s Solidarity Association, three individuals and a Gaza bank.
“These actors play a key role in external financing that funds Hamas’s terrorist activities, often under the guise of charity,” the report said.
The Treasury Department said the group “ostensibly raises funds for humanitarian purposes, but in reality helps finance Hamas’s military wing.”
Two people embrace as relatives and supporters of the murdered Israelis on October 7, 2023, as they attend a ceremony at the Nova Monument near Kibbutz Reim in southern Israel to mark the first anniversary of the attack. AFP (via Getty Images)
The organization’s founder, Mohammad Hanoun, was also sanctioned, with the US saying he had “transmitted money to Hamas-controlled organizations since at least 2018” and “transmitted at least $4 million to Hamas over a 10-year period.” “I did,” he claimed.
The Treasury Department suggested that Hamas “may have received up to $10 million a month” through donations to organizations nominally claiming to support humanitarian efforts.
“Hamas is exploiting the suffering in Gaza to raise funds through false charities and ostensible charities that falsely claim to support civilians in Gaza,” the Treasury Department said, adding that “Hamas affiliates are “We are trying to raise money through charities and ostensible charities, as well as garner public support for the group.” ”
On the one-year anniversary of the attack, people visit the Nova Music Festival venue where hundreds of revelers were killed, abducted and taken to Gaza by Hamas. AP
On Monday, Germany’s senior Hamas representative Majid al-Zir and Adel Doman, the “head of Hamas activities in Austria”, were also sanctioned.
US intelligence agencies have been warning for months about secret attackers behind pro-Palestinian groups.
Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines warned in July that Iran may even be funding pro-Palestinian protests in the United States.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks at Wake Tech Community College East Campus in Wendell, North Carolina, on September 5 via AFP, Getty Images
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement: “As we mark the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s brutal terrorist attacks, the Treasury Department continues to focus on how Hamas and its destabilizing Iranian proxies continue to finance their operations and commit further acts of violence. “It will continue to inexorably degrade our ability to execute.”
“Treasury will use every tool available to hold Hamas and its promoters accountable, including those who seek to exploit the situation to secure additional sources of income.”
