US Sanctions Hit Hamas Fundraising Network That Raised Over $2 Million, Some of It in Crypto

The US Treasury Department has sanctioned five parties tied to a six-year scheme that sent more than $2 million to Hamas: a member of the group’s military wing, two France based individuals and two charities. Officials say Faouzi Barika and Amel Oualid collected money in France for humanitarian causes and then passed it to Hamas. Between 2020 and 2026 the network gathered over $2 million, including $1.5 million after the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

Role of Crypto in Hamas Funding

Treasury says the pair sent hundreds of thousands of dollars in digital assets to Saleem Abdallah Saleem al-Zaq, a Gaza-based deputy battalion commander in the Al-Qassam Brigades. It did not claim the whole $2 million moved through crypto. The case fits a pattern in which US authorities treat crypto as one piece of larger payment networks, not Hamas’s main income source, since officials have said such groups still depend mostly on traditional finance.

Al-Qassam Brigades Donor Guidance

Last month’s reports said the Brigades urged donors to avoid sending directly from Binance and to use other services before moving funds to a TRON wallet.

What the Sanctions Mean

Assets of those named are blocked in US jurisdiction, and Americans are generally barred from dealing with them. Foreign banks knowingly facilitating major transactions risk secondary sanctions, and firms owned 50% or more by designated parties are covered. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said terrorist groups use skilled financial facilitators and fraudulent schemes that exploit the public.