In brief: Washington has sanctioned two France-based charity officials, their organizations and a Hamas-linked figure over alleged fundraising that the U.S. Treasury says generated more than $2 million between 2020 and 2026. Its account says hundreds of thousands of dollars were transferred in cryptocurrency, though officials did not identify the tokens or blockchains involved.
The U.S. Treasury Department says two France-based associations collected donations presented as humanitarian aid and routed funds to Saleem Abdallah Saleem al-Zaq, whom Washington describes as a deputy in a Hamas military-wing battalion in Gaza. The sanctions also target Faouzi Barika, co-founder of Association Baraka, and Amel Oualid, founder of Ensemble C Mieux, as well as the two organizations and al-Zaq.
According to the Treasury, Barika and Oualid raised money with al-Zaq, who promoted fundraising appeals on social media. The department alleges that the network collected over $2 million for Hamas from 2020 through 2026, including about $1.5 million after the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. These are U.S. government allegations, not a finding established here by a court.
Washington sanctions France-based crypto fundraising network
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the U.S. agency responsible for administering financial sanctions, added the named individuals and entities to its sanctions list. The action forms part of a broader counterterrorism effort aimed at disrupting financial networks that Washington says support Hamas and terrorism financing.
What the sanctions mean for assets and transactions
Assets belonging to designated people or organizations that are in the United States, or held or controlled by U.S. persons, are generally blocked under the measures. U.S. citizens and companies are generally prohibited from conducting transactions with those named, while certain significant dealings by foreign financial institutions may also expose them to U.S. sanctions.
For someone new to cryptocurrency, the key distinction is that the action targets specific people and entities—not cryptocurrency as a technology. A digital wallet is a way to hold or transfer crypto-assets; its use does not by itself prove wrongdoing, and the Treasury’s public account does not specify which coins or blockchains were allegedly involved.
What the Treasury alleges about cryptocurrency transfers
The Treasury says Barika and Oualid sent al-Zaq “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in cryptocurrency. It also alleges that he oversaw a broader operation using money-transfer businesses and crypto wallets to move funds to the Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing.
Washington further says al-Zaq worked as a photographer for Hamas’s media office and appeared at official events alongside senior figures. The agency’s account combines alleged charitable fundraising, social-media promotion and payment channels—a reminder that investigations of crypto-related activity often examine the people and organizations behind transactions, not just the transfers themselves.
How the case fits into wider counterterrorism enforcement
The French associations are part of a wider U.S. campaign against alleged Hamas financing. In September 2026, the U.S. Justice Department announced the seizure of more than $560,000 in cryptocurrency linked to the Al-Qassam Brigades, a separate action that highlights how authorities may use both sanctions and asset seizures to target suspected funding routes.
These measures have different practical effects: sanctions generally restrict dealings with designated parties, while a seizure aims to take control of specified assets through legal process. For donors, the case underlines the value of checking a charity’s identity, governance and payment details before sending money, especially when a fundraising appeal is shared through social media.
