The United States Treasury Department on October 2, 2026, issued sanctions against three individuals and two France-based charities accused of raising over $2 million for Hamas.
Saleem Abdallah Saleem al-Zaq, a Gaza-based battalion deputy in Hamas's military wing, oversaw the financial network and promoted the fundraisers' accounts on social media.
French residents Faouzi Barika and Amel Oualid were sanctioned for running the France-based charities Association Baraka and Ensemble C Mieux to raise funds for Hamas.
The sanctioned network raised more than $2 million between 2020 and 2026, with approximately $1.5 million collected after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
Saleem Abdallah Saleem al-Zaq was indicted by the U.S. Justice Department on charges of conspiring to provide material support to Hamas.
French authorities arrested sanctioned individuals Faouzi Barika and Amel Oualid, along with a third associate named Nordine Barika, in connection with the fundraising network.
U.S. authorities arrested Omar Adhami and Abdel Adhami in Louisiana, and Raed Yousef in Florida, for allegedly contributing tens of thousands of dollars to Hamas.
The U.S. Treasury Department's sanctions block all properties and interests in properties of the designated individuals and entities within the United States or controlled by U.S. persons.
The sanctioned network transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency to Saleem Abdallah Saleem al-Zaq to fund Hamas's Al-Qassam Brigades.
The France-based charities Association Baraka and Ensemble C Mieux collected public donations under the guise of providing humanitarian aid to Gazan civilians.
Omar Adhami, Abdel Adhami, and Raed Yousef face up to 80 years in prison if convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering and other charges.
Saleem Abdallah Saleem al-Zaq requested Bitcoin or other digital currency from a France-based partner in December 2021 to make financial transfers harder to trace.
The fundraising network shifted to a different cryptocurrency exchange in May 2023 after an initial platform questioned the source of their funds.
The U.S. Treasury in 2024 investigated approximately $165 million in cryptocurrency transactions involving U.S. institutions that were potentially linked to Hamas.
The U.S. Department of Justice previously seized over $560,000 in cryptocurrency intended for the Al-Qassam Brigades on September 1, 2026.
US sanctions on charities accused of Hamas ties do more harm than good to Gazan civilians
Financial sanctions are an effective way to disrupt decentralized terrorist networks
The United States is justified in sanctioning foreign entities operating outside its borders
Cryptocurrency exchanges bear primary responsibility for preventing terrorist financing on their platforms
