The UK government announced on Thursday that it has imposed a travel ban on Mustafa Ayash and Nazim Ahmed, citing their involvement in terrorism promotion and suspected financing of the Lebanese group Hezbollah.
Both individuals were already subject to asset freezes under the UK’s counter-terrorism laws, and the new measure will further prevent them from entering the country.
In a statement, the government emphasized that the travel ban is part of ongoing efforts to protect the integrity of the UK’s economy from the threats posed by terrorism financing.
Ayash was sanctioned in March of this year for allegedly providing financial support to a media network that the government claims supports the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and promotes terrorism.
Hamas was officially banned by the UK in 2021. Under anti-terrorism legislation, anyone expressing support for the group, displaying its flag, or organizing its meetings is committing a legal violation.
Nazim Ahmed was sanctioned in April 2023 on suspicions of his involvement in financing Hezbollah, which is allied with Iran.
The United States had previously imposed sanctions on him in 2019.
According to a 2023 government report, Ahmed owns a significant art collection in the UK and has extensive dealings with artists, art galleries, and auction houses across the country.
Hezbollah recently claimed responsibility for targeting the headquarters of the Israeli army’s 210th Golan Division in the Nafah barracks using “squadrons of suicide drones.” The attack was in response to recent assassinations of Hezbollah personnel.
These drones have become a central feature of Hezbollah’s recent attacks on Israel, including a retaliatory strike on Sunday following Israel’s late-July attack on Beirut.
