BRUSSELS, June 28, 2024 — In a decisive action today, the European Union expanded its restrictive measures targeting entities and individuals linked to Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), escalating its response to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
The EU Council has added six individuals and three entities to its sanctions list, intensifying efforts to stifle the financial networks supporting these groups. The newly sanctioned entities include Zawaya Group for Development and Investment Co Ltd., Larrycom for Investment Ltd., and Al Zawaya Group for Development and Investment Sociedad limited. These companies, owned by Sudan-based financier Abdelbasit Hamza Elhassan Mohamed Khair, already under EU sanctions, have been identified as integral to Hamas’ financial operations.
“The listings today reflect our commitment to combating terrorism financing and ensuring the security of the region,” stated an EU official. “By targeting these entities and individuals, we aim to disrupt the financial lifelines that enable violent activities against Israel.”
Individual listings include Jamil Yusuf Ahmad Aliyan, a PIJ official and leader of the Muhjat AlQuds Foundation, which is an Iran-funded organisation whose primary mission is to provide financial support to the families of PIJ fighters and prisoners.
Furthermore, the Council sanctioned Ahmed Sharif Abdallah Odeh, who leads Hamas’s foreign investment activities and is a shareholder and a board member of several front companies for Hamas; Zuheir Shamlakh, a financial facilitator and money changer who enables financial transfers from Iran to Hamas; and Ismail Barhoum a member of the Hamas Political Bureau, who heads the Hamas’ Charitable Institutions Association supervising 400 charities, and channelling funds to Hamas.
The EU Council also listed Ali Morshed Shirazi, a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – Quds Force (IRGC-QF) official serving as Bureau Chief of the Palestine Branch operating out of Lebanon, and Maher Rebhi Obeid, a member of the Hamas Political Bureau since 2010, who is responsible for directing Hamas’ terrorist operatives in the West Bank.
“This step is part of our broader strategy to support peace and stability in the Middle East,” the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs remarked. “We remain deeply committed to a two-state solution and will continue to act decisively against any threats to this vision.”
With these additions, the EU has now sanctioned a total of 12 individuals and three entities under its dedicated regime against Hamas and the PIJ. This regime complements earlier measures and underscores the EU’s ongoing commitment to holding accountable those who facilitate or engage in violent activities in the region.
