The crackdown
The Trump administration just went full investigation mode, dropping sanctions on three individuals and two French charities linked to Hamas. According to the Justice and Treasury Departments, this network moved over $2 million to the group since 2020 by hiding behind fake humanitarian efforts and crypto wallets. Real talk: $1.5 million of that was raised after the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The feds aren't playing, and they’re calling this a "sophisticated financing architecture" that they’ve finally mapped out.
Who is involved?
The sanctions specifically target Saleem Alzaq, based in Gaza, along with Faouzi Barika and Amel Oualid, who reside in France. The US says these two ran charities called Association Baraka and Ensemble C Mieux, which were lowkey fronts for Hamas funding.
On the legal side, the DOJ unsealed an indictment against Alzaq—who they allege is a battalion deputy in Hamas’ military wing—and arrested three men in the US: Omar Adhami and Abdel Adhami from Louisiana, and Raed Yousef from Florida. They’re accused of funneling tens of thousands of dollars to the organization. If convicted, these guys are looking at up to 80 years in prison. Three other associates were also snagged in France as part of the same sweep.
Why it matters
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the goal is to "isolate" those providing financial lifelines to terrorist groups. Between the sanctions and the FBI arrests, the administration is making it clear that funding "designated foreign terrorist organizations" is a one-way ticket to federal prosecution. It’s giving a major shift in how the government tracks decentralized cash flows, and it’s likely not the end of the investigation.
