U.S. Sanctions Four Gaza Flotilla Organizers Linked to Pro-Terrorist Activity

The United States on Tuesday issued sanctions against four people associated with a humanitarian aid flotilla bound for Gaza, accusing them of being "pro-terrorist."

BSS said Israeli forces intercepted a Gaza-bound aid flotilla on Monday after it sailed from Turkey last week, and it described the flotilla as part of the broader Global Sumud initiative.

Al-Jazeera Net

BSS named the sanctioned individuals as Saif Abu Keshek, Mohammed Khatib, Hisham Abdallah Sulayman Abu Mahfuz, and Jaldia Abubakra Aueda, and it said Abu Keshek was detained in Israel for several days earlier this month after Israeli forces seized him from a previous flotilla off the coast of Greece before he was deported on May 10.

i24NEWS reported that the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on Tuesday against four individuals associated with the Turkish-led flotilla being intercepted off Gaza, and it said the Israeli navy had taken control of at least 41 of the flotilla's vessels in international waters with fewer than 10 remaining to be intercepted.

i24NEWS added that the vessel convoy set sail from Marmaris, Turkey last week and was scheduled to reach the Gaza coast by Tuesday evening, with approximately 100 of the activists being Turkish nationals.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the flotilla was "a ludicrous attempt to undermine President (Donald) Trump's successful progress toward lasting peace in the region," framing the sanctions as part of a broader effort to sever Hamas-linked financial support networks.

i24NEWS echoed that line, quoting Bessent as saying "Treasury will continue to sever Hamas' global financial support networks, no matter where in the world they are," while describing the sanctions as targeting flotilla organizers and Muslim Brotherhood networks in Egypt, the West Bank, and Europe.

Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)

BSS said US authorities accused the sanctioned individuals of being associated with the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), which Washington said works as a front for armed Palestinian groups including Hamas.

i24NEWS said the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) described the PCPA as established with funding from Hamas's International Relations Bureau and directed by Hamas officials placed throughout the organization, including its executive body, the General Secretariat.

JNS.org reported that the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Tuesday on organizers and backers of the "Global Sumud Flotilla," and it quoted Bessent again calling it "a ludicrous attempt to undermine President Trump’s successful progress toward lasting peace in the region."

The sanctions action, according to i24NEWS, blocked "all property and interests in property" of those listed within U.S. jurisdiction and generally prohibited U.S. persons from transactions with them.

“- i24NEWS - International - US / Canada - US Treasury sanctions Gaza flotilla organizers supporting Hamas US Treasury sanctions Gaza flotilla organizers supporting Hamas US Office of Foreign Assets Control calls the Gaza-bound flotilla a 'ludicrous attempt' to undermine Trump's peace push as the Israeli navy continues intercepting the vessels at sea The US Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on Tuesday against four individuals associated with the Turkish-led flotilla currently being intercepted by Israeli forces off Gaza, alongside a broader package of designations targeting Hamas-aligned Muslim Brotherhood networks in Egypt, the West Bank, and Europe”

i24NEWS

i24NEWS also warned that foreign financial institutions facilitating significant transactions on behalf of the designated individuals could face secondary sanctions, including restrictions on correspondent or payable-through accounts in the United States.

BSS said the sanctioned individuals were associated with the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA) and that some were accused of association with the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, which Israel and the United States accuse of being a front for armed groups.

Al-Jazeera Net reported that the U.S. State Department said the designation was based on three categories of actors that facilitate Hamas activities, including organizers of the Hamas-supported flotilla seeking to reach Gaza and coordinators from Samidoun, which it described as a front for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Al-Jazeera Net added that assets of individuals and entities subject to U.S. sanctions have been frozen in the United States and that American companies are prohibited from dealing with them.