Oct. 27 (UPI) — The U.S. Treasury Department’s office of foreign assets control Friday sanctioned a number of individuals and entities it claims are linked to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, both of which are designated as terrorist organizations by the U.S. government.
The sanctions target individuals from the Hamas movement as well as individuals from the Iranian government accused of supporting Hamas.
“Today’s action targets additional assets in Hamas’s investment portfolio and individuals who are facilitating sanctions evasion by Hamas-affiliated companies,” the Treasury Department said in a press release Friday.
“We will not hesitate to take action to further degrade Hamas’s ability to commit horrific terrorist attacks by relentlessly targeting its financial activities and streams of funding,” said Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo.
Sanctioned individuals include Nassar Al Sheikh Ali, who directs the Al-Ansar Foundation, which the Treasury Department says is linked to Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The Al Ansar Foundation has also been designated for “having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services in support of, the U.S.-designated Martyrs Foundation, Hamas, and PIJ.”
The Treasury Department says Al Sheikh Ali has publicly acknowledged Iranian support for funds given to the families of individuals involved with militant groups that have attacked Israel.
Tehran-based Jordanian citizen and Hamas representative Khaled Qaddoumi was designated Friday, as were Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force officials Ali Morshed Shirazi and Mostafa Mohammad Khani, who have been accused of helping train Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Two companies owned by previously sanctioned Sudan-based Hamas supporter Hamza Elhassan Mohamad Khair were also designated Friday.
The Sudan-based Zawaya Group for Development and Investment Co. LTD and its Spanish affiliate Zawaya Group for Development Investment Sociedad Limitada, both of which are operated by Khair, were designated Friday.
Three investors in the Turkey-based company Trend GYO were also designated Friday. Arwa Mangoush, Alaeddin Senguler and Gulsah Yigidoglu were all designated for providing material or financial assistance to Hamas.
The designations mean that any entity that has a higher than 50% investment by the sanctioned individuals or by an aggregate of sanctioned individuals are blocked.
