Washington Targets Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas Financial Networks With New Sanctions

Washington has stepped up its campaign against the financial networks it says back Hamas, targeting a senior Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood official and several organizations accused of moving money through charities, businesses and underground banking channels.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced the measures on July 23, 2026, saying the action was designed to expose and disrupt a “multi-layered” financing system connecting Muslim Brotherhood-linked groups with Hamas. The allegations are part of a wider U.S. effort to cut off international sources of funding for Hamas. 

U.S. Sanctions Target Senior Muslim Brotherhood Official

The latest action was led by Mahmoud al-Abyari, a senior leader of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood based in the United Kingdom and secretary-general of the Muslim Brotherhood General Secretariat. The U.S. Treasury Department said al-Abyari helped raise money for groups already sanctioned by Washington for alleged ties to Hamas. The Treasury also accused him of working with affiliates of the Muslim Brotherhood to provide financial support to Hamas. The designation was made pursuant to Executive Order 13224, a key U.S. counterterrorism sanctions authority. Treasury said the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood itself was designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization in January 2026.

Charities and Businesses Allegedly Used to Move Funds

The latest sanctions also target two organizations Washington describes as fronts for Hamas fundraising. One is Tujah Bulah Global, or Seven Spikes Global, based in Indonesia. The Treasury said the organization was created by Hamas to raise money and generate revenue for its military wing. The second is the Madad Palestine Charitable Society in Gaza. U.S. officials say that Hamas knowingly diverted donations collected for civilian assistance into military activities. The accusations underscore a major challenge for international financial authorities: separating legitimate humanitarian fundraising from groups that Washington says use charitable structures to move funds for militant activities.

Underground Banking Network Comes Under Pressure

Washington also sanctioned Türkiye-based El-Kahira for General Trading, which the Treasury says moved hundreds of thousands of dollars for Hamas. The company also faced allegations of operating an underground bank dealing in both fiat currency and cryptocurrency. The network offered financial services beyond conventional banking and was also used by organized-crime groups in Sweden, the Treasury said. The action therefore goes beyond the traditional bank accounts. It suggests a rising interest in the U.S. in informal banking systems, cryptocurrency and cross-border commercial structures that can make it harder for authorities to trace where money comes from and where it ends up.

What the Sanctions Mean

The sanctions are an immediate financial blow. In general, the property and interests in property of designated persons and entities that are in the United States, or that are in the possession or control of a U.S. person, must be blocked and reported to the Office of Foreign Assets Control. U.S. persons and companies also generally are prohibited from engaging in transactions with sanctioned parties. Restrictions also apply to businesses that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50% or more by blocked persons or entities. Foreign financial institutions that knowingly facilitate significant transactions for designated parties may be subject to additional U.S. sanctions that could affect their access to correspondent or payable-through accounts in the U.S. financial system.

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Why the Latest Action Matters

The July sanctions show that Washington is targeting Hamas financing beyond the financial accounts that are obvious. Instead, U.S. authorities are targeting the wider ecosystem that they say allows money to flow through charities, commercial firms and informal banking networks. The operation was coordinated with the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Treasury Department said. The sanctions follow those announced in January and March 2026 against individuals and entities Washington said aided Hamas’s international financial infrastructure.

In economic terms the strategy could increase the compliance pressure on banks, charities and businesses that operate in multiple jurisdictions. Financial institutions could respond with enhanced due diligence, especially where the transactions involve high-risk areas or complex ownership structures. For Washington, the broader objective is clear: make it increasingly difficult for Hamas and organizations it accuses of supporting the group to access, transfer or disguise funds through the international financial system.

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