The Hamas movement faced a new wave of Western sanctions as Israel intensified its attacks to eliminate the movement’s rule in the Gaza Strip.
The US Treasury Department announced yesterday (Friday) sanctions on four Hamas officials in Gaza and Lebanon, including Huzayfah al-Kahlut, known as “Abu Ubaidah,” the spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades.
The department stated that the decision aims to hinder Hamas’s ability to launch further attacks, including cyberattacks and the use of drones.
The US move coincided with sanctions imposed by the European Union on the military wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, following what it described as acts of sexual violence committed during the October 7th attack on Israel.
The bloc stated that fighters from the two Palestinian factions committed widespread acts of violence and systemic gender-based violence, using it as a weapon of war.
Simultaneously with the US-EU pressure on Hamas, Israeli warplanes launched raids on areas in Nusairat, Maghazi, and Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, amid reports of dozens of Palestinians killed.
An Israeli army spokesperson also announced the entry of the first trucks loaded with humanitarian aid from Israel into the Gaza Strip through the new northern crossing.
