The US Treasury has designated three people and two France-based charities over an alleged Hamas financing network. Authorities accuse Association Baraka and Ensemble C Mieux of channeling humanitarian donations to the armed group through direct transfers and cryptocurrency. The October 2 decision blocks US-linked property and generally prohibits US-person transactions with the designated individuals and organisations.
The US Treasury Department designated three people and two France-based charities on October 2 over an alleged financing network for Hamas. The action names Saleem Abdallah Saleem al-Zaq, Faouzi Barika and Amel Oualid, along with Association Baraka and Ensemble C Mieux. Treasury alleges that the charities collected humanitarian donations for Gaza civilians and channelled funds to Hamas.[1], [2]
Treasury identifies al-Zaq as a member of Hamas’s military wing overseeing the network, and Barika and Oualid as the operators of the charities. It alleges that more than 2 million dollars moved to Hamas between 2020 and 2026, including 1.5 million dollars raised after the October 7, 2023 attack. The department describes direct transfers and cryptocurrency channels. These remain allegations by US authorities.[1]
The designations block listed parties’ property in the United States or held by US persons. Entities owned at least 50 per cent in aggregate by blocked persons are also covered. Transactions by US persons are generally prohibited, subject to licences and applicable exemptions. Treasury also warns foreign financial institutions of possible secondary sanctions and restrictions on their US correspondent or payable-through accounts.[1]
