US Treasury sanctions Gaza flotilla organizers supporting Hamas

The US Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on Tuesday against four individuals associated with the Turkish-led flotilla currently being intercepted by Israeli forces off Gaza, alongside a broader package of designations targeting Hamas-aligned Muslim Brotherhood networks in Egypt, the West Bank, and Europe.

The sanctions were announced as Israel's naval operation against the flotilla was already underway. By the time of the Treasury announcement, the Israeli navy had taken control of at least 41 of the flotilla's vessels in international waters, with fewer than 10 vessels remaining to be intercepted. The vessel convoy, carrying hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists, had set sail from Marmaris, Turkey, last week and was scheduled to reach the Gaza coast by Tuesday evening. Approximately 100 of activists are Turkish nationals.

The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said the flotilla is organized by the US-designated Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), an organization it said was established with funding from Hamas's International Relations Bureau. OFAC said the PCPA "claims it represents the interests of the Palestinian diaspora" but is in fact directed by Hamas officials placed throughout the organization, including its executive body, the General Secretariat.

"The pro-terror flotilla attempting to reach Gaza is a ludicrous attempt to undermine President Trump's successful progress toward lasting peace in the region," US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. "Treasury will continue to sever Hamas' global financial support networks, no matter where in the world they are."

The four flotilla-linked individuals targeted are:

• Saif Hashim Kamel Abukishek, a Jordan-based member of the PCPA's General Secretariat and a member of the flotilla's Steering Committee

• Hisham Abdallah Sulayman Abu Mahfuz, the acting secretary general and president of the PCPA, based in Spain

• Mohammed Khatib, the Belgium-based European coordinator for Samidoun, which Treasury described as a front organization for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)

• Jaldia Abubakra Aueda, Samidoun's coordinator in Madrid

OFAC said Samidoun "serves as a fundraising platform in countries where the PFLP otherwise faces legal restrictions." 

Karim Sayed Ahmed Moghny, described as "a leading Hamas operative" who as of 2025 directed militant activity and served as a "key collaborator" with HASM, the Egypt-based violent offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, was sanctioned for his roles supporting both organizations. OFAC said Moghny was responsible for "recruiting and training individuals in military techniques, covert technical operations, and funds transfers."

Muhammad Jamal Hassan al-Najjar, another Hamas operative, was designated for working with HASM member Sherif Ahmed Ewis Ahmed to "acquire explosives, weapons, and plan attacks." Treasury said al-Najjar was more recently "involved in an effort to fund salaries for Hamas members." Ahmed was separately designated for acting on behalf of HASM.

As a result of the designations, all property and interests in property of those listed within US jurisdiction are blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited from transactions with them. Treasury also warned that foreign financial institutions facilitating significant transactions on behalf of the designated individuals could face secondary sanctions.

The Treasury action also targets figures Washington says operate within Hamas-aligned Muslim Brotherhood networks.

Marwan Abu Ras and the Palestinian Scholars Association, which he leads, were designated for acting on behalf of Hamas. OFAC said senior Hamas leaders, including the late Yahya Sinwar, had used the body to "ensure that all religious discourse in Gaza aligns with Hamas' ideology."