US sanctions two French nationals and charities over 2 million dollar Hamas funding network

US Treasury sanctions

The United States Department of the Treasury placed two French nationals and their charitable organizations on its sanctions blacklist on Friday, October 2, 2026. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) accused the individuals of running financial operations that collected charitable donations under the pretext of humanitarian relief for Palestinian civilians in Gaza while directing the proceeds to the militant group Hamas.

The designated individuals are Faouzi Barika, who leads the organization Baraka, and Amel Oualid, who directs the organization Ensemble C Mieux. Alongside the two French citizens and their respective non-governmental groups, the Treasury also designated Saleem al-Zaq, identified by US authorities as an operative within the armed wing of Hamas.

They lead purported charitable associations intended to collect funds for humanitarian purposes to assist civilians in Gaza.

Mechanics of the financial pipeline

According to the findings published by OFAC, the illicit financial channel operated across a six-year window from 2020 through 2026. In total, the network generated more than 2 million dollars for Hamas. Treasury investigators determined that a significant acceleration in fundraising took place following the outbreak of hostilities in late 2023, with 1.5 million dollars of the overall sum gathered after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack against Israel.

Over a six-year period, from 2020 to 2026, Barika, Oualid and al-Zaq collected more than two million dollars for Hamas, including 1.5 million collected after Hamas's attack against Israel on October 7, 2023.

The transfer of capital relied heavily on digital assets to circumvent conventional banking oversight. OFAC stated that Barika and Oualid transmitted hundreds of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrencies directly to al-Zaq. To maintain cash inflows, al-Zaq actively amplified social media accounts associated with the fundraising campaigns managed by Barika and Oualid.

Operational profile of the targeted charities

The sanctioned entities presented themselves publicly as benevolent groups dedicated to alleviating hardship in the Palestinian territories. The association Baraka established its official base in Gironde, located in southwestern France, in 2023. On its public website, Baraka describes its mission as a humanitarian organization serving civilians in Gaza.

Despite those public missions, US authorities concluded that the organizations functioned as front operations designed to channel capital to armed actors. The sanctions action formally includes both Baraka and Ensemble C Mieux on the US blacklist, blocking their capacity to interface with international payment processors and international banking channels.

Scope of economic restrictions

The sanctions issued by OFAC impose comprehensive economic prohibitions on the designated individuals and organizations. All property, bank accounts, and financial interests belonging to Barika, Oualid, al-Zaq, and their associations that fall under United States jurisdiction are immediately frozen.

Furthermore, the measures enforce strict compliance rules on American citizens, financial institutions, and multinational payment networks such as Mastercard. All US entities are mandated to terminate financial relationships and business ties with the sanctioned parties immediately. Companies or individuals that fail to comply with these restrictions face exposure to secondary US economic penalties and potential blacklisting.