Hamas co-founder Mahmoud Zahar and six other people linked to the terror group were on Wednesday hit by sanctions by Britain.
The moves aim to target the threat posed by Hamas, cut off its access to finances and impose fresh travel restrictions on individuals linked to the group to disrupt its operations.
The Foreign Office named and described the seven as:
* Mahmoud Zahar, a Gaza-based Hamas leader and co-founder
* Ali Baraka, Lebanon-based head of external relations for Hamas who has publicly defended the October 7 slaughter of around 1,200 people in southern Israel and sought to justify the taking of hostages
* Maher Obeid, a political leader who has held senior positions in Hamas
* Akram al-Ajouri, the Syria-based Deputy Secretary General of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and leader of the Al-Quds Brigades, PIJ’s military wing. The PIJ is accused of also being involved in the October 7 attacks.
* Khaled Chouman and Rida Ali Khamis, who have channelled funds to Hamas through their Lebanon-based currency exchanges
* Aiman Ahmad Al Duwaik, an Algeria-based financier for Hamas who has helped run the organisation’s overseas investment portfolio
Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said: “Hamas can have no future in Gaza. Today’s sanctions on Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad will continue to cut off their access to funding and isolate them further.
“We will continue to work with partners to reach a long-term political solution so that Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace.”
Hamas can have no future in Gaza.
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) December 13, 2023
Today's sanctions on Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad will continue to cut off their access to funding and isolate them further.
We will continue to work with partners to reach a long-term political solution so that Israelis and… https://t.co/rbyHJoeNnx
The financial sanctions and travel bans were coordinated with the United States.
It is the UK’s second round of targeted sanctions imposed on figures associated with Hamas since the October 7 attacks.
They aim to show that individuals linked to Hamas will not be able to “escape accountability”, even if operating from outside of Gaza.
Around 1,200 people, including many children, were killed in the Islamic State-style massacre by Hamas in southern Israel on October 7 when about 240 hostages were also seized.
Israel’s assault on Gaza to destroy the Hamas terror group has killed at least 18,205 Palestinians including many children and wounded nearly 50,000 since October 7, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry.
Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden have warned Israel that too many people are dying in Gaza during its military operation.
In Washington, the United States on Wednesday announced new war-related sanctions against Hamas, targeting eight officials and representatives who allegedly help to manage the militant group’s financial network.
The penalties are the Treasury Department’s latest response to the October 7 attacks.
The sanctions block access to US property and bank accounts and prevent those designated from doing business with Americans.
The list included individuals based in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Turkey.
Among them was Ismail Barhum, who the Treasury Department said in a statement was a member of the Gaza Strip Political Bureau and has worked with Hamas Finance Minister Zaher Jabarin, also under sanction, to aggregate money from global fundraising into the organisation’s finance accounts.
Brian Nelson, the Treasury’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said Hamas exploits “seemingly permissive jurisdictions to direct fundraising campaigns for the group’s benefit and funneling those illicit proceeds to support its military activities in Gaza".
He said the US and its allies are focused on “leveraging our collective tools and authorities to degrade Hamas’s ability to fund additional attacks and further destabilize the region".
Earlier sanctions on November 14 named Hamas leaders and financiers, on October 27 targeted sources of support and financing, and on October 18 designated operatives and financial facilitators.
US officials stressed the new sanctions were coordinated with Britain and showed an allied commitment aimed at “dismantling networks that support Hamas funding streams as part of our continuous effort to prevent and deter its terrorist activity,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
