US sanctions Palestinian group in blockade-busting flotillas

The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on a group of Palestinians involved in civilian flotillas that aim to break Israel's sea blockade on Gaza, accusing it of working for Hamas.

The Treasury Department said that the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA) has been a "main organizer" of the flotillas and charged that it was "clandestinely acting on behalf of Hamas."

President Donald Trump's administration also imposed sanctions on six Gaza-based self-described charitable organizations, alleging that they are part of Hamas's military wing.

The sanctions will block any assets the groups have in the United States and criminalize transactions with them.

"The Trump administration will not look the other way while Hamas leadership and enablers exploit the financial system to fund terrorist operations," Treasury Department official John Hurley said in a statement.

The PCPA, which has fiercely criticized U.S. support for Israel, has a presence in Lebanon and has organized conferences in Turkey of Palestinians overseas.

The Treasury Department also imposed sanctions on a PCPA official, Zaher Khaled Hassan Birawi, who is based in Britain.

The group has supported flotillas that have aimed to break through the Israeli blockade of Gaza, which has been reduced to rubble after two years of relentless Israeli bombing and where the United Nations previously determined there was famine.

Israel has intercepted the flotillas made up of multiple boats and detained its participants including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.

Two Republican congressman, Andy Barr and Jefferson Shreve, has pushed for the Trump administration to declare the PCPA a terrorist organization, saying the group was trying to "violate Israel's legal naval blockade of Gaza."

Hamas, long designated by the United States as a terrorist group, carried out an unprecedented attack inside Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, triggering the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

The new U.S. sanctions come as the Trump administration says that a cease-fire has moved to the next stage with a goal of disarming Hamas.