Staff Reports
In a bold move, the US said on Wednesday that it would be putting sanctions on ten Hamas members and the group's financial network. Several countries, such as Gaza, Sudan, Turkey, Algeria, and Qatar, will have to follow these rules. This decision was made in reaction to the recent surprise attack on Israel, in which more than 1,000 people were killed and many more were captured.
U.S. targets sanctions against group of 10 Hamas members, financial network over Israel attack https://t.co/GNq9fdcucR
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) October 18, 2023
President Biden, who just got to the Middle East to show his support for Israel, has been working hard to calm down the rising conflict between Israel and Hamas. His attempts have, however, been severely hampered by events such as the terrible explosion at a hospital in Gaza that killed five hundred innocent people.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control in the Treasury Department carefully chose the countries that will be hit by these sanctions. Some of them are in charge of a Hamas investment portfolio, a financial facilitator based in Qatar with close ties to the Iranian government, a key Hamas leader, and a virtual currency exchange in Gaza.
Janet Yellen, the secretary of the Treasury, made it clear that the US is going after the people who give money to and help Hamas. She stressed that these actions are in direct response to the horrible killing of Israeli civilians, including children. Yellen also said that the U.S. Treasury has a history of stopping terrorists from getting money, and they will not be afraid to use their tools against Hamas.
John Nelson, who is the under-secretary of the U.S. Treasury for terrorism and illegal finance, also spoke out strongly against Hamas. He said that the US is renewing its efforts to find the terrorist group's sources of funding. At a Deloitte conference on fighting money laundering, he warned American allies and the business sector that they needed to join the fight or "be prepared to suffer the consequences." Nelson made it clear that the world cannot stand for money to be sent through the financial system to fund Hamas's terrorist operations.
Mohammed Deif, who is in charge of Hamas's military branch, has spoken out about the latest attack on Israel. In a taped message, Deif said that the attack was necessary because of the 16-year blockade of Gaza, Israeli raids in the West Bank, attacks on Palestinians by settlers, and the growth of settlements. He said that this attack, which is called Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, is just the start and asked Palestinians from all over the country to join the fight.
Everyone is now interested in what effect these sanctions will have on Hamas and whether they will stop more bloodshed in the area. The US has made it very clear that it will not stand for supporting terrorism, and it is still determined to break up the banking networks that give these extremist groups money.
