On November 19, 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated six key officials in Hamas who have enabled the group’s terrorist activities by financing terrorist activities or serving as senior officials for Hamas. According to OFAC, the designees lead the group’s fund raising efforts, its efforts to transfer money and goods into Gaza, and efforts to represent the group’s interests abroad. The designees include Türkiye-based Abd Al-Rahman Ismail and al-Rahman Ghanimat, a long-time member of Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, that has allegedly been involved in the planning of multiple terrorist attacks, including the 1997 bombing of a Tel Aviv café. OFAC also designated Ghazi Hamad, a long-time Hamas leader based in Gaza who has allegedly served to promote propaganda for the group and has overseen border crossings at Gaza, including the smuggling of weapons into Gaza.
The designations were imposed pursuant to Executive Order 13224, as amended, which targets terrorist groups and their supporters. As a result of these designations, all property and interests in property of the designated persons within the United States or within the possession or control of a U.S. person are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions involving a designated person. Entities owned 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.