The US on Wednesday issued sanctions against non-profit organisations with alleged links to Hamas.
The Treasury Department said six Gaza-based organisations claimed to be providing medical care to Palestinians in the war-torn enclave but were actually supporting Hamas's military wing, Al Qassam Brigades.
“Hamas continues to show a callous disregard for the welfare of the Palestinian people,” John K Hurley, the Treasury's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement. “The Trump administration will not look the other way while Hamas leadership and enablers exploit the financial system to fund terrorist operations.”
Citing documentary evidence seized from Hamas, the US accused the Gaza-based Waed Society, Al Nur Society, Qawafil Society, Al Falah Society, Merciful Hands and Al Salameh Society of having been “organised by, and integrated into” the group's military wing.
Sanctions were also issued against the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, an advocacy body that has organised flotillas aimed at breaking Israel's blockade of Gaza. The US accused the PCPA of “clandestinely acting on behalf of Hamas”. UK-based Zaher Birawi, head of the Palestine Forum in Britain, was also named in the sanctions.
“The United States will use all available tools to expose and disrupt the deceitful practices that these entities and individuals use to raise funds,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said.
“We are committed to ensuring that humanitarian aid can be delivered by reliable and safe organisations and supporting stabilisation efforts for the Gaza Strip.”
It comes after President Donald Trump said it should be known within three weeks whether Hamas will agree to disarm, and threatened action if the group does not.
“That's what they agreed to. They've got to do it. And we're going to know … over the next two or three days – certainly over the next three weeks – whether or not they're going to do it,” Mr Trump said following a speech at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
“If they don't do it, they'll be blown away very quickly. They'll be blown away.”
