EU and US impose sanctions on Hamas and Islamic Jihad

The EU and US simultaneously imposed sanctions on Hamas personnel on Friday. The EU filed sanctions for the sexual violence against Israeli citizens on October 7, and the US filed sanctions targeting the group’s drone unit.

The EU sanctions also targeted the Gaza-based Islamist terror organization, Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

The European Union on Friday put the Al-Quds Brigades, the Nukhba Force, and the Iz-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, the military arms of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, on the list of sanctions following the sexual violence on October 7.

The EU countries said the Qassam and Al-Quds Brigades and the Nukhba Force were now subject to an asset freeze and a travel ban to the EU. The provision of funds to them, directly or indirectly, is now also prohibited.

The United States on Friday issued sanctions aimed at a Hamas spokesperson and leaders of the group's drone unit, the Treasury Department said.

The US sanctions targeted Hudhayfa Samir ‘Abdallah al-Kahlut (al-Kahlut) also known as “Abu Ubaida” who has been the spokesman for the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades (al-Qassam Brigades,) the military wing of Hamas in Gaza, since at least 2007, the department said.

"Operatives of terrorist group Hamas have used information warfare and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to facilitate terrorist violence across multiple fronts," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said. "The United States will continue to target Hamas’s destabilizing attempts to launch terrorist attacks, as well as to disrupt Hamas terrorists wherever they operate, including across cyberspace."

Targeting Hamas terrorists

The sanctions also targeted William Abu Shanab (Abu Shanab), commander of the Lebanon-based al-Shimali unit, Bara’a Hasan Farhat, assistant to Abu Shanab, the commander of the al-Shimali unit, and Khalil Muhammad Azzam, an intelligence official.

“Today’s joint action reinforces our continued, collective focus on disrupting Hamas’s ability to conduct further attacks, including through cyber warfare and the production of UAVs,” Brian Nelson, Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and Financial Intelligence said, referring to unmanned aerial vehicles.

"Treasury, in coordination with our allies and partners, will continue to target Hamas’s facilitation networks wherever they operate, including in the cyber domain," he said.

As a result of the sanctions, all property, and interests in property of the designated people that are in the United States, or the possession or control of US persons are blocked and must be reported to Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.