Japan to sanction three Hamas leaders

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
26 Dec 2023 14:41

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi announces intention to sanction three more Hamas leaders he claims use finances to fund "terrorist activities".

Demonstrators rally during a pro-Palestinian demonstration asking for a ceasefire in Gaza at Union Station in Washington, Friday, November 17, 2023. (AP)

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, announced, on Tuesday, that his government is set to freeze assets and impose sanctions on payments and capital transactions on three senior Hamas members allegedly involved in the October 7 operation, Al-Aqsa Flood.

Hayashi argued that the three leaders, who remained unnamed, were in a position to use the funds to finance alleged "terrorist activities."

This comes after Japan had previously, in October, imposed sanctions on nine people and a company claiming they had Hamas links.

It is worth noting that the sanctions come in accordance with the US sanctions imposed on Hamas members, alongside sanctions on other Palestinian liberation movements and those that support them.

Earlier, on December 13, the US Treasury released a statement noting the imposing of sanctions against "key Hamas officials." The release included the names of: Ismail Musa Ahmad Barhum (Ismail Barhum) from Gaza; Haroun Mansour Yaqoub Nasser Al-Din (Haroun Nasser Al-Din) based in Turkey; Ali Abed Al Rahman Baraka (Ali Baraka) situated in Lebanon; Jihad Muhammad Shaker Yaghmour (Jihad Yaghmour), Hamas's representative in Turkey; Maher Rebhi Obeid (Maher Obeid) located in Lebanon; Nizar Mohammed Awadallah (Nizar Awadallah) associated with Gaza; Hassan Al-Wardian, a senior Hamas official in Beit Lahm(West Bank); and Mehmet Kaya, based in Turkey.

At the time, the US claimed that "Hamas continues to rely heavily on networks of well-placed officials and affiliates, exploiting seemingly permissive jurisdictions to direct fundraising campaigns for the group’s benefit, and funneling those illicit proceeds to support its military activities in Gaza."

France, Germany, Italy request EU sanctions on Palestinian Resistance

In a joint letter addressed to the European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, foreign ministers from Italy, France, and Germany urged the EU to establish an ad hoc sanctions regime targeting Hamas and its supporters.

The letter, obtained by Reuters on December 1, highlights the proposed sanctions by the three foreign ministers.

“We express our full support for the proposal to create an ad hoc sanctions regime against Hamas and its supporters,” the letter read.

"The swift adoption of this sanctions regime will enable us to send a strong political message about the EU’s commitment against Hamas and our solidarity with Israel."

'Israel' embargoed by pro-Resistance countries

In response to the Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian called on the other Caspian Sea region governments, on December 5, to halt energy supplies to the occupation and prohibit imports of commodities from them.

During the meeting Amir-Abdollahian expressed that the exports should end and goods produced in the occupied territories should be embargoed, calling it the "least we can do in solidarity with the people of the Gaza Strip."

The foreign minister had previously requested from the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation's executive council to impose political and economic penalties, including an oil embargo, on 'Israel' and to terminate diplomatic ties with the occupation.

In turn, the Yemeni Armed Forces have blocked ships heading to Israeli occupation ports, and ships owned by Israeli settlers and affiliates, from crossing the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which has greatly impacted the Israeli occupation's economy rendering Eilat port almost completely non-operational.

In that context, Yemeni Ansar Allah spokesperson Mohammad Abdel Salam told Al Mayadeen on December 19 that the criminal onslaught being waged on Palestine forces every free man to take action and underline that they stand against the Zionist arrogance and criminality.

During an exclusive interview, the Yemeni top official underlined that Sanaa cannot directly "support occupied Palestine. We do not share any land borders and we can not engage in land confrontations; we do not have the capabilities but to participate by launching missiles and drones and conducting naval operations."

Abdel Salam also revealed that the Yemeni Armed Forces would not hold back and that the escalations taking place might see an uptick depending on the situation on the ground in light of all the challenges being faced by the Palestinian people.

Last but not least, the global boycotting campaign, BDS, has also gravely impacted Israeli occupation and all brands that support and sponsor the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip.