US and Britain with new sanctions against key figures of Hamas

2024-01-22 19:54:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The United States and Britain have announced new sanctions against the figures of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas, the Palestinian group declared a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. This is their latest coordinated decision to freeze assets and impose travel bans, targeting fighters from regional groups.

Five "key figures" and an entity said to be involved in leading and financing the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad networks have been sanctioned, the British Government said.

The measures "will help cut off the funding that supports these terrorist groups, including from Iran," the announcement said.

Western countries have imposed a series of sanctions on Hamas and its allies since the Palestinian group carried out the unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7.

Hamas fighters killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took nearly 250 hostages. As a result of the Israeli offensive, over 25,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the Ministry of Health in Hamas-led Gaza.

"These sanctions send a clear message to Hamas that Britain and our partners are committed to ensuring that there are no hiding places for these terrorist financing activities," British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said in a statement. .

Britain and the US have announced several rounds of coordinated sanctions since late last year. The sanctions have targeted Hamas and Iran, which supports the radical Palestinian group.

Among those sanctioned is Zuheir Shamlakh, who according to London, since 2019, has the reputation of being the "main money changer" for Hamas.

According to Britain, he is the key figure who shifted the group's operations to cryptocurrencies and used digital currencies and unofficial money transfer systems "to send large sums of money from Iran to Hamas" before October 7, London said. Ahmed Sharif Abdallah Odeh, who is suspected to be the key operator of the financial network of Hamas, and Ismail Barhoum, a member of the political bureau in Gaza, have also been sanctioned.

Hassan Al-Wardian, said to be the leader of Hamas in the occupied West Bank, and Jamil Yusuf Ahmad Aliyan, a senior official of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, are, according to Britain, on the sanctions list./ Rel