US and UK impose fresh sanctions on Hamas, targeting money transfers from Iran to Gaza
The US and UK have imposed new sanctions on the Palestinian militant group, Hamas. The sanctions, which target money transfers from Iran to Gaza, are part of an effort to help reduce the amount of money and resources that Hamas has access to.
The sanctions target two individuals and three organizations for providing financial support and resources to Hamas. In a statement, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Hamas is “corrupt, violent, and bent on destruction in pursuit of an extremist agenda” and that the US and UK are committed to “deny it the resources it needs to operate.”
The US and UK have long sought to weaken Hamas’s capabilities and disrupt its capacity to threaten regional stability. Through these new sanctions, they are attempting to disrupt the financial lifeline for Hamas, as well as the financial institutions indiscriminately and maliciously working to channel resources to the group and its members. It is hoped that these combined efforts will disrupt the group’s capability to launch attacks and launch attempts to disrupt stability in the region.