Britain and the United States have announced new asset freezes and travel bans on Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) figures as part of their ongoing efforts to combat regional militants. The targeted individuals and entity are believed to be involved in the leadership and financial networks of these terrorist groups, with the aim of cutting off the flow of funding, including from Iran.
The decision to impose these sanctions comes in response to the escalating violence in the region, particularly the October 7 attack by Hamas militants on Israel. According to official Israeli figures, this attack resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,140 people, mostly civilians. In addition, the Hamas government’s health ministry reported that since October 7, around 25,300 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip, with the majority being women, young children, and adolescents.
Foreign Secretary David Cameron emphasized that these sanctions send a clear message to Hamas that the UK and its partners are committed to ensuring there is no safe haven for those financing terrorist activities. He also stated that in order to achieve a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza, Hamas cannot be in power and able to threaten Israel. By disrupting the financial networks that sustain Hamas’ operations, including those from Iran, these sanctions support the crucial aim of preventing further violence.
This is not the first time that Britain and the United States have imposed coordinated sanctions on Hamas and its Iranian backers. Last year, multiple rounds of sanctions were announced targeting these groups. The latest measures announced by Britain will result in asset freezes, travel bans, and arms embargoes. However, it is unclear whether any of the individuals targeted have assets in Britain or have traveled there recently.
One of the individuals sanctioned is Zuheir Shamlakh, who has been described by Britain as Hamas’ “main money changer” since 2019. He is believed to have played a key role in the group’s shift towards cryptocurrencies and has exploited digital currencies and informal money transfer systems to move large sums of money from Iran to Hamas prior to the October 7 attack. Ahmed Sharif Abdallah Odeh, a key operator in Hamas’ financial network, and Ismail Barhoum, a member of its political bureau in Gaza and its governing council, have also been sanctioned.
The remaining two individuals sanctioned are Hassan Al-Wardian, said to be a senior leader of Hamas in the West Bank, and Jamil Yusuf Ahmad Aliyan, an alleged senior PIJ official in Gaza. By targeting these individuals and their financial networks, the UK and the US aim to disrupt the operations of these terrorist groups and prevent them from carrying out further attacks.
The imposition of these sanctions reflects the international community’s determination to combat terrorism and support peace in the region. By cutting off the flow of funding to Hamas and PIJ, including from Iran, these measures aim to weaken these groups and prevent them from posing a threat to Israel and the wider region. It is hoped that these sanctions will contribute to the achievement of a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza and pave the way for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict.