US pressures Arab allies to crackdown on Hamas fundraising

News Desk - The Cradle

Last week, the US Treasury announced sanctions on individuals it claims are managing a ‘secret’ Hamas investment portfolio

Washington has called on its Arab allies to help crack down on increased fundraising by the Hamas resistance movement over two weeks after the group launched a daring operation against the Israeli settlements in the Gaza envelope. 

A meeting of the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center, formed in 2017 and based in the Saudi capital Riyadh, was held on 23 October after being rescheduled from next month. 

The Terrorist Financing Targeting Center includes the US, Saudi Arabia, and five other Gulf countries. 

US Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian Nelson, called on GCC countries to provide Washington with intelligence that could prove useful in imposing sanctions on certain individuals or entities. 

“This moment should bring a profound sense of urgency, clarity, and purpose to the work that we do. The ability to act — to cut off the financial flows that feed terrorism — is a duty we all share,” he said.

Nelson added that desperately needed humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, including food, medicine, and water, would not be subject to sanctions. Following the meeting in the kingdom, Nelson traveled to Qatar.

Many Hamas leaders and representatives have long been based in Qatar. The resistance group has received significant financial and political support from Doha. 

Qatar is also currently attempting to help mediate the release of Israeli prisoners who were taken from the settlements surrounding Gaza during Hamas’ launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on 7 October. 

“The Biden administration is asking its Gulf Arab allies to look as closely as possible at the operations of previously sanctioned Hamas-linked charities and entities in their jurisdictions as well as any suspicious activities by newly created ones,” Bloomberg cited an anonymous US official as saying. 

Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Qatar declined to comment. 

In a statement, a UAE official said that his country “is committed to combating illegal financial activities such as money laundering and financing of terrorism.” 

Last week, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on certain people who they claim are overseeing a “secret” Hamas investment portfolio amounting to between $400 million and $1 billion. 

The Treasury claims that this is taking place “under the guise of legitimate businesses” in Sudan, Algeria, Turkiye, the UAE, and other countries.