US Sanctions French Charities and Individuals for Alleged Hamas Crypto Funding

The US Treasury Department has expanded its sanctions against Hamas, targeting two France-based charities and three individuals accused of facilitating cryptocurrency transfers to the militant group. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added Association Baraka, Ensemble C Mieux, Faouzi Barika, Amel Oualid, and Saleem Abdallah Saleem al-Zaq to its sanctions list on October 2, 2026. The Treasury alleges that Barika and Oualid sent hundreds of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency to al-Zaq, a Gaza-based deputy battalion commander in Hamas’ military wing.

The sanctions impose blocking obligations and transaction restrictions on crypto firms within US jurisdiction, requiring them to screen for the designated parties and their affiliated entities. OFAC treats digital assets similarly to fiat currency, mandating that US-regulated crypto companies block access to assets belonging to sanctioned parties and report them within 10 business days. The agency also warned foreign financial institutions about potential secondary sanctions for facilitating significant transactions for the designated parties.

The Treasury claims that the two fundraisers and their associated organizations collected over $2 million for Hamas between 2020 and 2026, though not all of this amount was transferred using cryptocurrency. The sanctions highlight the growing importance of tracing digital-asset transfers alongside traditional financing channels in disrupting Hamas’ funding networks.

Crypto firms now face the challenge of identifying additional wallet addresses, intermediaries, or entities tied to the sanctioned network. Any disclosures could broaden the screening burden beyond the names added this week, forcing exchanges to reassess their historical exposure to the alleged fundraising operation.