By Prof. Bill Michael
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions on a group of individuals and entities it says form part of financial and organizational networks supporting Hamas. The designations target people associated with the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), the Samidoun network, and other figures the Treasury links to Hamas and related groups, including elements tied to Muslim Brotherhood networks.
According to the official announcement, the action aims to disrupt efforts that expand Hamas’s political influence, facilitate terrorist activity, and undermine international efforts toward lasting peace in Gaza. The measures were taken under Executive Order 13224, as amended, the primary U.S. counterterrorism sanctions authority. Hamas has long been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and under the same executive order.
The sanctions specifically name several individuals. Linked to the PCPA are Saif Hashim Kamel Abukishek, described as a Spain-based member of the organization’s General Secretariat and involved with a flotilla steering committee, and Hisham Abdallah Sulayman Abu Mahfuz, identified as the acting secretary general and president of the PCPA based in Jordan. The Treasury states that the PCPA was established with funding connected to Hamas’s International Relations Bureau and operates under its direction.
From the Samidoun network, which the U.S. has previously designated as a front for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the designations include Mohammed Khatib, the Belgium-based European coordinator, and Jaldia Abubakra Aueda, Samidoun’s coordinator in Madrid. The Treasury notes that Samidoun has served as a fundraising platform in jurisdictions where the PFLP faces restrictions.
Additional targets include Marwan Abu Ras and the Palestinian Scholars Association. Officials said senior Hamas leaders had used the association to align religious discourse in Gaza with the group’s ideology. Also designated were Karim Sayed Ahmed Moghny, described as a leading Hamas operative who collaborated with the Egypt-based HASM group; Muhammad Jamal Hassan Al-Najjar, linked to support for Hamas including financial assistance; and Sherif Ahmed Ewis Ahmed, associated with HASM.
As a result of these designations, all property and interests in property of the listed persons that are in the United States or under the control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. U.S. citizens and companies are generally prohibited from conducting transactions with the designated individuals or entities. Foreign parties that provide material or financial support risk secondary sanctions. The Treasury emphasized that these steps form part of ongoing efforts to sever global support networks for Hamas, regardless of location.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has underscored the administration’s determination to pursue those enabling terrorist groups, including through apparent charitable or activist fronts. The designations build on earlier actions against related organizations and individuals. Financial institutions and nonprofits have been reminded of the compliance risks associated with dealings involving designated parties, while legitimate humanitarian assistance remains facilitated under existing general licenses and guidance.
These measures reflect the United States’ continued focus on disrupting the financial and organizational infrastructure that sustains designated terrorist organizations. The full list of designations and related details is available on the Treasury Department’s official website.
