Sanctioning Sham Charities that Fund Terrorism

The United States has sanctioned five individuals and five sham charities for financially supporting Hamas under the guise of humanitarian work. The U.S. has also targeted a fraudulent charity linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, or PFLP.

The United States has sanctioned five individuals and five sham charities for financially supporting Hamas under the guise of humanitarian work. The U.S. has also targeted a fraudulent charity linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, or PFLP.

The PFLP was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the State Department in 1997 and 2001.

These sanctions target so-called charities that operate in Türkiye, Algeria, the Netherlands, Italy, and the West Bank and Gaza, as well as those who serve in leadership positions in these organizations.

This “action underscores the importance of safeguarding the charitable sector from abuse by terrorists like Hamas and the PFLP, who continue to leverage sham charities as fronts for funding their terrorist and military operations,” said Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender. “Treasury will continue to use all available tools to prevent Hamas, the PFLP, and other terrorist actors from exploiting the humanitarian situation in Gaza to fund their violent activities at the expense of their own people.”

Hamas and the PFLP have long abused the trust of the international community and public support for legitimate humanitarian causes to fund their terrorist activities and bring violence to the Israeli and Palestinian people. As Hamas continues to hold hostages, including two American citizens, following the October 7, 2023, attack, the United States remains committed to exposing terrorists and terrorist organizations that seek to abuse the non-profit organization, or NPO, sector to raise funds under the façade of humanitarian support.

Hamas and the PFLP have a long history of abusing the NPO and charitable sectors. Some of these NPOs and charities are entirely co-opted and run by these designated terrorists, with their links to Hamas and the PFLP intentionally obscured in order to evade sanctions. This allows Hamas and the PFLP to exploit the sympathy and generosity of the international public at the expense of the Palestinian people.

“The United States will use all available tools to prevent abuse of the nonprofit sector for the benefit of terrorist groups like Hamas and the PFLP,” said State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce in a statement. “We are committed to ensuring humanitarian aid can be delivered by reliable and safe organizations.” VOA/SP