Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated two individuals and three entities as key financial facilitators involved in fundraising for Hamas. In the wake of the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack perpetrated by Hamas against Israel, Gaza Now engaged in fundraising efforts to support Hamas. Gaza Now and its founder Mustafa Ayash, as well Al-Qureshi Executives and Aakhirah Limited, and their director Aozma Sultana, partnered on multiple fundraising efforts. This action is being taken as part of a collaborative effort with the United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, which is implementing sanctions on these same targets. After the October 7 terrorist attack, online entity Gaza Now began a fundraising effort in support of Hamas. OFAC is designating Gaza Now pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Hamas, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13224. OFAC is designating Gaza Now’s founder and director, Mustafa Ayash, pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for owning or controlling, directly or indirectly, Gaza Now.
Aozma Sultana (Sultana) is the director and sole officer of Al-Qureshi Executives and Aakhirah Limited. Sultana and these two companies have given thousands of dollars to Gaza Now and advertised Gaza Now as a partner during a joint fundraiser shortly after the October 7 terrorist attack. OFAC is designating Sultana pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of Gaza Now. OFAC is designating Al-Qureshi Executives and Aakhirah Limited pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for being owned, controlled, or directed by Sultana.
On June 6, 2003, OFAC issued the Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 594 (68 FR 34196, June 6, 2003 (“the Regulations”), to implement Executive Order (E.O.) 13224 of September 23, 2001, “Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions With Persons Who Commit, Threaten To Commit, or Support Terrorism” (66 FR 49079, September 25, 2001). OFAC has amended the Regulations on several occasions.
On September 9, 2019, the President, invoking the authority of, inter alia, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701–1706) (IEEPA) and the United Nations Participation Act (22 U.S.C. 287c) (UNPA), issued E.O. 13886, “Modernizing Sanctions To Combat Terrorism” (84 FR 48041, September 12, 2019), effective September 10, 2019. In E.O. 13886, the President, finding it necessary to consolidate and enhance sanctions to combat acts of terrorism and threats of terrorism by foreign terrorists, terminated the national emergency declared in E.O. 12947 of January 23, 1995, “Prohibiting Transactions With Terrorists Who Threaten To Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process” (60 FR 5079, January 25, 1995), and revoked E.O. 12947, as amended by E.O. 13099 of August 20, 1998, “Prohibiting Transactions With Terrorists Who Threaten To Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process” (63 FR 45167, August 25, 1998). In addition, the President amended E.O. 13224, in order to build upon initial steps taken in E.O. 12947, to further strengthen and consolidate sanctions to combat the continuing threat posed by international terrorism, and in order to take additional steps to deal with the national emergency declared in E.O. 13224, with respect to the continuing and immediate threat of grave acts of terrorism and threats of terrorism committed by foreign terrorists, which include acts of terrorism that threaten the Middle East peace process.
Section 1 of E.O. 13886 replaces in its entirety section 1 of E.O. 13224, which had been amended by a number of prior Executive orders (E.O. 13224, as amended by all such authorities, is referred to herein as “amended E.O. 13224”), but does not amend the Annex to E.O. 13224, which was previously amended by E.O. 13268 of July 2, 2002, “Termination of Emergency With Respect to the Taliban and Amendment of Executive Order 13224 of September 23, 2001” (67 FR 44751, July 3, 2002) (“amended Annex to E.O. 13224”).
