The US and UK have imposed fresh sanctions on the Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip, targeting money transfers from Iran to the Palestinian enclave. The sanctions follow a series of measures taken by the Trump and Johnson administrations to isolate the militant group following its takeover of the Palestinian Authority in 2007.
Under the new measures, the US is freezing financial assets held by a Hamas-controlled banking system, and the UK has designated nine Hamas-affiliated charities as terrorist entities. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the move was a “significant step” to prevent Iranian funding of Hamas’ activities.
The sanctions come as the US and UK continue to confront Iran over its support for what they consider terrorist activities across the Middle East. The US, in particular, has been at odds with Iran since withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018.
The sanctions are the latest in a series of US and UK actions targeting terrorists and political groups in the Middle East, particularly those supported by Iran. The US and UK have also targeted Palestinian groups, including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which is considered a terrorist organisation by both countries.
