US sanctions France-based fundraisers accused of channeling $2 million to Hamas
Treasury says two France-based fundraisers used purported Gaza aid charities to channel money to Hamas, raising $1.5 million after October 7
The US Treasury Department on Friday imposed sanctions on two France-based fundraisers, their organizations and a Hamas operative over a network it said funneled more than $2 million to the group under the guise of humanitarian aid for Gaza.
Treasury said Faouzi Barika and Amel Oualid worked with Saleem Abdallah Saleem al-Zaq, a Gaza-based deputy battalion commander in Hamas’s military wing, to collect the money between 2020 and 2026. Of that sum, $1.5 million was raised after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The pair sent hundreds of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency to al-Zaq, who transferred funds to Hamas, according to Treasury.
Barika jointly established Association Baraka with al-Zaq, while Oualid founded Ensemble C Mieux. Treasury accused both organizations of soliciting donations purportedly intended for civilians and redirecting the proceeds to Hamas.
Friday’s sanctions formed part of a broader FBI-led operation targeting Hamas fundraising ventures, including some operating inside the United States.
The measures freeze any assets the designated individuals and organizations hold under US jurisdiction and generally prohibit Americans from dealing with them.