U.S. sanctions Hamas operatives and 'financial facilitators'

Oct. 18 (UPI) -- The U.S. Treasury Department Wednesday sanctioned 10 key Hamas members, operatives and financial facilitators in Gaza, Sudan, Turkey, Algeria and Qatar.

The sanctions announced Wednesday took aim at Hamas members Treasury said are managing assets in a secret Hamas investment portfolio, a person described as a Qatar-based financial facilitator with alleged close ties to Iran, a key Hamas commander and a Gaza-based virtual currency exchange and its operator.

"The United States is taking swift and decisive action to target Hamas's financiers and facilitators following its brutal and unconscionable massacre of Israeli civilians, including children," said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in a statement. "The U.S. Treasury has a long history of effectively disrupting terror finance and we will not hesitate to use our tools against Hamas. We will continue to take all steps necessary to deny Hamas terrorists the ability to raise and use funds to carry out atrocities and terrorize the people of Israel."

Among those sanctioned were Musa Muhammad Salim Dudin, a West Bank-based member of Hamas' Political Bureau and Investment Office official who the treasury said used funds from Political BureauDeputy Cheif Salih al-Aruri to purchase weapons that were ultimately used in attacks on Israeli soldiers and Abdelbasit Hamza Elhassan Mohamed Khair, a Sudan-based financier the Treasury said was previously involved in the transfer of $20 million to Hamas.

Additionally, the Treasury targeted Amer Kamal Sharif Alshawa, Ahmed Sadu Jahleb, Aiman Ahmad Al-Duwaik and Walid Mohammed Mustafa Jadallah who it identified as part of the Hamas investment network in Turkey and Algeria.

Sanctions were also imposed on individuals the Treasury identified as Hamas operatives including Muhammad Ahmad 'Abd Al-Dayim Nasrallah who was involved transferring millions of dollars to the organization, including its military wing.

Others targeted were Ayman Nofal, a member of Hamas military wing the Izz al-Din al-Qassim Brigades, who was allegedly killed in an airstrike Tuesday and Ahmed M. M. Alaqad, who allegedly acted as a representative for Gaza-based digital currency exchange Buy Cash and Money Transfer Company and registered its domain in July 2015.

The Treasury Department said Buy Cash "has also been used to transfers funds by affiliates in other terrorist groups."