WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated a senior UK-based Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood official, three other individuals, and three entities for providing material support to Hamas. The designations, announced July 24, 2026, targeted a network utilizing charitable facades and underground banking channels to funnel resources to the militant group.

The sanctioned Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood official was identified as Mahmoud al-Abyari, the secretary-general of the Muslim Brotherhood General Secretariat. OFAC stated that al-Abyari has a long history of senior leadership roles within the organization. He supported fundraising for Filistin Vakfi and Hayat Yolu, entities previously sanctioned by OFAC in 2023 for providing financial and logistical support to Hamas.

Two of the designated entities were identified as sham charities tied to the Muslim Brotherhood that funneled funding to Hamas's military wing, the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades. OFAC identified the Gaza-based Madad Palestine Charitable Society as a front created specifically to raise funds for the military wing. The agency also identified Seven Spikes Global, an alias for the Indonesia-based Tujah Bulah Global, as an organization created by Hamas to generate revenue for its military operations.

The action targets transnational fundraising channels operated by Muslim Brotherhood affiliates and Hamas-directed front organizations. According to OFAC, these networks rely on charitable facades and underground banking systems to move funds. The office noted that such methods allow these groups to obscure the ultimate destination of financial transfers while maintaining operational continuity across borders.

In Turkey, OFAC sanctioned El-Kahira for General Trading for transferring hundreds of thousands of dollars in Hamas funds. The company's owner, Turkey-based Khuldun Khamis Zakaria Alden, was also designated. Additionally, OFAC sanctioned Turkey-based shareholders Zaid Issam Ahmed al-Jebouri and Abdullah Issam Ahmad al-Jebouri of El-Kahira for General Trading.

OFAC stated that El-Kahira for General Trading provides underground banking services to Sweden-based organized crime groups, including the Foxtrot Network. These services include handling both fiat currency and cryptocurrencies. The agency further stated that Zaid and Abdallah al-Jebouri provided underground banking services for another organized criminal group, linking the designated individuals to broader illicit financial activities beyond Hamas.

"The Trump administration will relentlessly pursue terrorists, and those who finance them," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. He emphasized that the scope of these efforts extends beyond direct combatants to include the financial infrastructure supporting them.

"Whether operating under the guise of charities, businesses, or underground financial networks, those who enable Hamas will be exposed, sanctioned, and held accountable," Bessent added. This designation follows OFAC's January 2026 decision to label the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). That move marked an escalation in U.S. enforcement against the group for its ties to Hamas. In 2024, the office imposed sanctions on 24 individuals and entities linked to Hamas, targeting a global network of front companies and financial facilitators.

OFAC has consistently targeted similar networks in prior years. In 2023, the agency sanctioned 12 entities involved in illicit financial activities for Hamas, including underground banking networks and cryptocurrency platforms. The 2024 coordination with the U.S. Department of State and international partners resulted in sanctions against 16 organizations and individuals using charitable fronts. OFAC’s 2024 Enforcement Guidelines prohibit U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with these designated assets.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control, established in 1953, administers economic and trade sanctions based on U.S. foreign policy goals. These latest designations disrupt a specific financial pipeline linking UK-based leadership, Turkish trading firms, and charitable fronts to Hamas's military wing. By targeting both the ideological leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood and the commercial entities facilitating transfers, the Treasury Department aims to close multiple avenues of support simultaneously.

The inclusion of underground banking services and cryptocurrency handling in the designations reflects the evolving methods used to bypass traditional financial monitoring. The connection to Swedish organized crime groups indicates that the financial infrastructure supporting Hamas overlaps with other illicit international networks. This overlap complicates enforcement but also provides additional legal grounds for intervention under U.S. sanctions laws prohibiting transactions with designated entities.