Treasury designates individuals, entities in Hamas financing scheme
Summary
Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated a member of Hamas’s military wing, Saleem Abdallah Saleem al-Zaq, as well as two France-based individuals, Faouzi Barika and Amel Oualid, and their associated entities for funding Hamas through fraudulent charities and cryptocurrency. This operation reveals a complex financing scheme that transferred over $2 million to Hamas, with significant amounts raised after the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. The designations are part of a coordinated effort led by the FBI and include local law enforcement like the New York Police Department, aimed at disrupting Hamas's fundraising activities and exploiting the charitable sector to support terrorism.
Analysis
Hamas: Hamas is a Palestinian militant organization designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States. The current designations target its ongoing use of deceptive financial networks, including cryptocurrency channels, to sustain operations despite prior sanctions. Amel Oualid: Amel Oualid is a France-based individual who established and operates the purported charity Ensemble C Mieux. She is designated by OFAC for providing financial support to al-Zaq through her entity as part of the same multi-year Hamas financing scheme. Faouzi Barika: Faouzi Barika is a France-based individual who established and operates the purported charity Association Baraka. OFAC designated him for materially assisting Hamas by raising and transferring funds through this sham front in coordination with al-Zaq. Saleem Abdallah Saleem al-Zaq: Saleem Abdallah Saleem al-Zaq is a Gaza-based deputy in the Hamas Al-Qassam Brigades military wing who manages financial transfers for the group. He is directly named in the OFAC action for overseeing cryptocurrency and money services networks that funneled funds raised by the France-based facilitators to Hamas. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control: The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is the US government agency responsible for administering and enforcing economic and trade sanctions programs. In this news, OFAC led the designations of individuals and entities tied to Hamas financing, exposing schemes that used sham charities and cryptocurrency to support the group. Sanctions Authority: OFAC designations were issued under Executive Order 13224, as amended, the core US counterterrorism sanctions authority that blocks property and prohibits transactions involving designated persons. Interagency Coordination: The action forms part of a broader FBI-led multi-jurisdictional effort involving local partners such as the New York Police Department to disrupt Hamas fundraising networks.
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