
About $2 million in crypto funds intended for Hamas seized by US
According to court filings, the digital currency was held in Tether and Binance accounts connected through BuyCash, a 'Gaza-based money transfer business' allegedly involved in helping to finance Hamas.
'Terrorist organisations like Hamas and their affiliates rely on shadowy financial networks to fund their deadly operations,' US Attorney General Pam Bondi said.
'By seizing millions in cryptocurrency, the Justice Department is aggressively dismantling the financial infrastructure of terrorism and refusing to allow our digital currency platforms to become safe havens for terrorist financing.'
The court filings said a man named Ahmed Alaqad, a partial owner of the BuyCash operation, is also suspected of supporting groups including ISIS and Al Qaeda. Unsealed court documents accuse him of 'materially supporting Hamas' after the group's attack on Israel in October 2023.
According to the Department of Justice, the specific method of transferring funds through digital assets is likely to have resulted in Hamas receiving as much as $4 million previously.
'These types of money transfers are a classic money laundering technique, as they intend to disguise the nature, location, ownership and control of the funds being transferred,' the court filings said.
Despite growing enthusiasm for crypto, there is still plenty of scepticism. Unlike fiat currencies, crypto mostly lacks an overall regulatory apparatus and is largely decentralised, making it appealing to groups with nefarious intentions.
In May, a man in the US was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison after he was found guilty of converting $185,000 to cryptocurrency and transferring it to ISIS.
In March, an investigation originating from the FBI's field office in New Mexico led to the seizure of $201,400 in cryptocurrency assets that was intended to finance Hamas.
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The National
an hour ago
- The National
Parliament demands recognition of Palestinian state 'before it's too late'
British MPs have called on their government to declare Palestine an official country while 'there is still a state to recognise'. In strongly worded report the Foreign Affairs Committee has accused Whitehall of dithering by waiting for the 'perfect time for recognition'. It said that was unachievable and that meanwhile illegal settlers were annexing much of the occupied West Bank, with Gaza in their sights too. The call came as French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he would recognise Palestine at a meeting in New York in September, in a move that he has described as a "moral duty" and a "political necessity." Mr Macron hopes that the UK will follow suit. Speaking to the House of Commons earlier this month, the French president said that "working together in order to recognise the dtate of Palestine and to initiate this political momentum is the only path to peace." An inalienable right should not be made conditional House of Commons Despite the increasingly grim humanitarian crisis, with the death toll approaching 60,000, Israel was still refusing to listen to calls to bring about a ceasefire with Hamas. 'It seems that the Israeli government is not listening to the UK,' the Foreign Affairs Committee (Fac) stated, adding that while it did pay attention to Washington, 'it only does so sporadically'. The MPs will hope that Downing Street listens to their urging that, along with France, they take the significant step of recognising a Palestinian state, to put even greater pressure on Israel. 'The UK, along with France – the co-signatory of the 1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement – should now recognise the state of Palestine while there is still a state to recognise,' the MPs wrote. 'An inalienable right should not be made conditional.' That message appeared to have been picked up by Prime Minister Keir Starmer who suggested that a Hamas agreeing a ceasefire could rapidly lead to the UK recognising statehood that he repeated was the 'inalienable right of the Palestinian people'. 'A ceasefire will put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution which guarantees peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis,' he said in a statement issued by Downing Street. But the 'unspeakable and indefensible' starvation in Gaza has led Britain to host an emergency call with the E3 partners, Britain, Germany and France, on Friday. 'While the situation has been grave for some time, it has reached new depths and continues to worsen,' he said. 'We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe.' The E3 meeting will discuss what the European countries can to 'urgently stop the killing and get people the food'. 'We all agree on the pressing need for Israel to change course and allow the aid that is desperately needed to enter Gaza without delay,' he stated. Whitehall sources have told The National that exasperation with Israel has led to serious consideration by the UK of Palestinian state recognition, but that has yet to be announced. Further pressure has been put on Prime Minister Keir Starmer after London Mayor Sadiq joined a growing number of senior Labour figures demanding that the government 'immediately recognise Palestinian statehood', arguing that there 'can be no two-state solution if there is no viable state left to call Palestine'. While the government has said it 'plans' to defy Israel and join the other 147 countries who have declared Palestine a state, it will only do so 'at the point of maximum impact'. But the Fac report argued that the government 'cannot continue to wait for the perfect time' because experience showed 'that there will never be a perfect time, and in hindsight it is possible to see times when it should have occurred'. However, the National Jewish Assembly, an organisation of British Jews, told the MPs that premature recognition of Palestinian statehood would be 'a catastrophic error' which would legitimise 'a leadership that has failed its people for decades'. Emily Thornberry, the Fac chairwoman, said immediate recognition would 'signal the UK's desire to work urgently towards a two-state solution'. Her committee's report on the Israel-Palestine conflict urged Mr Starmer 'to kick-start urgently the process of preparing the ground for negotiation of a long-term two-state resolution to the conflict, without waiting for a ceasefire'. 'There is undoubtedly huge frustration among many of the British public that the government has consistently acted too little, too late,' she said. 'And there is huge frustration that the far-right government currently in charge in Israel is refusing to listen to its historic friends and allies. 'But we must not shrug our shoulders in despair and say that there is nothing we can do. This report puts forward practical suggestions for how the British government can make a real difference.' She added that the UK government must also use its historic Middle East legacy as a convening power 'to bring together conflicting and diverse parties' and 'must act more boldly and bravely' to leverage Britain's influence.


Middle East Eye
4 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
US grilled over Gaza famine fears as it withdraws from ceasefire talks
The US on Thursday said it was pulling its negotiators from Gaza ceasefire talks, even as US officials were grilled by reporters over what experts say is a famine taking hold in the besieged enclave. US envoy Steve Witkoff blamed Hamas for the collapse in talks and said negotiators would leave Doha, Qatar. The Gulf state, along with Egypt, has been mediating between Hamas, the US and Israel. "We have decided to bring our team home from Doha for consultations after the latest response from Hamas, which clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza," Witkoff said in a post on X. "We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home.' The pullback comes as the Gaza Strip descends deeper into hunger as a result of a blockade that Israel has imposed on Gaza. This week, 28 western countries, including traditional supporters of Israel like Poland, the UK and Italy condemned Israel's chokehold of food entering the enclave. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food," they said. With basic food items vanishing from markets and families enduring days without enough to survive, scenes of people collapsing from hunger and sheer exhaustion have become increasingly common across Gaza's streets. Eyewitnesses have recounted the gruesome scenes to Middle East Eye reporters in Gaza. The same day Witkoff pulled out of talks, the State Department was grilled by reporters over what aid experts say is an impending famine. The questions were unusually pointed in response to the spokesperson blaming Hamas for the lack of food entering Gaza and calling on other aid groups to coordinate with the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. US contractor recounts gruesome details of Gaza aid delivery Read More » The US and Israeli backed GHF was designed to bypass the UN's infrastructure for aid delivery and distribution in Gaza. Former US mercenaries who worked at the sites say starving Palestinians have been shot at and attacked trying to get meager amounts of aid. When State Department Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott called on entities to cooperate with GHF, one reporter responded: "They are volunteering but they can't get past the border." A Financial Times reporter asked Pigott: "We all acknowledge obviously that Israel controls Gaza's borders completely and it is limiting food to the population because Hamas has not agreed to its terms... to be clear, is the US government okay with Israel allowing children and adult civilians to starve so long as Hamas and the UN refuse to play by Israel's rules?" "I reject the premise of that question," Pigott responded. Talks The ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel have ebbed and flowed for weeks. The two sides reached an agreement on a three-phase deal in January. Israel tore up the deal in March before talks on a permanent end to the war were scheduled to take place and unilaterally resumed attacking the Gaza Strip. Although the Trump administration has clashed with Israel on several files - including striking an independent ceasefire with the Houthis in Yemen and condemning Israeli strikes on Syria - it has continued to blame Hamas for the collapse of the Gaza ceasefire and failure to reach a new deal. The proposal the two sides have been working on largely echoes the previous deal that Israel withdrew from in March. It would see captives held in Gaza released in the first 60 days in exchange for a halt in fighting, more aid entering the enclave and Palestinian prisoners freed from Israeli jails. Roughly 20 living captives are believed to remain in Gaza, mostly military-age men. Hamas has insisted that any agreement should lead to a permanent end to the war after the captives are freed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected making that commitment. Hamas responds to ceasefire draft, demands changes to Israeli army's position in Gaza Read More » MEE reported earlier this month that the talks remain deadlocked over at least two key details. The first is the extent of the proposed Israeli redeployment from the Gaza Strip during the 60-day truce. The second is the method of aid distribution. Israeli negotiators insist that GHF remain one of the main distributors of food in Gaza, despite widespread international condemnation. Hamas fears GHF, which is linked to Israel and guarded by US mercenaries, would replace the UN. Israel also wants to keep its soldiers in Rafah and create a "buffer zone" up to three kilometres deep along Gaza's eastern and northern boundary with Israel, sources tell MEE. The "buffer zone" would cover several Palestinian towns and residential areas, blocking hundreds of thousands of displaced people from returning home. If Israel remains in Rafah, it would control the border crossing to Egypt. Israeli officials have said they want to create a so-called "humanitarian city" there, a proposal that has drawn international criticism, with some describing it as resembling a concentration camp. Some observers believed the two sides had a better chance of reaching a deal this time because Israel's parliament is starting a month-long recess next week. Netanyahu's coalition partners have threatened to collapse his government if he ends the war.


Middle East Eye
4 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
France to recognise Palestinian state at UN General Assembly in September
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that France will recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September, on a post on X on Thursday. "I have decided that France will recognise the State of Palestine," he said. "I will make this solemn announcement at the United Nations General Assembly in September." Macron's statement was posted on X along with a copy of a letter addressed to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, dated 24 July. "The urgent need today is to end the war in Gaza and to provide relief to the civilian population. Peace is possible." He added that "the demilitarisation of Hamas" was key to securing and rebuilding Gaza. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "We must immediately implement a ceasefire, release all hostages and provide massive humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza." The letter Macron posted is an apparent response to Abbas, who committed to seeing Hamas demilitarise in a letter on 9 June, which he sent to the French president and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. US grilled over Gaza famine fears as it withdraws from ceasefire talks Read More » "In light of the commitments made to me by the president of the Palestinian Authority, I have therefore written to him of my determination to move forward," Macron said on X. Building a Palestinian state and ensuring its viability would "contribute to the security of all in the Middle East", Macron added. Macron originally planned to recognise a two-state solution at the UN in June along with Saudi Arabia. However, he put plans on hold after Israel commenced attacks on Iran's nuclear sites. A ministerial-level meeting will be held on 28 and 29 July at the UN in New York. Israel's deputy prime minister and justice minister, Yariv Levin, on Thursday condemned France's move to recognise a Palestinian, calling it "a black mark on French history and a direct aid to terrorism". Levin said France's "shameful decision" meant it was now "time to apply Israeli sovereignty" to the occupied West Bank, which Israel has illegally occupied since 1967. Macron said a viable Palestinian state must recognise Israel and contribute to the overall security of the region. "There is no alternative," he said.