The pair are suspected of providing financial support for Gaza
Now, a terrorism-promoting media network.
Both individuals and the companies they control are subject to a
full asset freeze.
The UK Government has announced a full asset freeze against two
individuals suspected of providing financial support for Gaza Now
– a news agency that promotes the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic
Jihad terrorist groups.
All funds and economic resources in the UK belonging to or
controlled by Sultana and Ayash have been frozen. No UK person
may make available funds, economic resources and financial
services to them or for their benefit, or to any of the companies
or organisations they own or control - either over the course of
doing business with them or otherwise.
This action is the second use of the Treasury-led domestic
counter terrorism sanctions regime, used to target those who it
has reasonable grounds to suspect are involved in terrorist
activity. Last year it sanctioned an art
dealer who was suspected of abusing the UK’s fine art market
to run an international terrorist financing operation for
Hizballah.
UK Treasury Minister Baroness Vere said:
The UK and its partners are committed to cutting off funding
sources to Hamas, PIJ and any others supporting terrorist
activity that prevents sustainable peace in the Middle East.
We will also never hesitate to take action against those who
exploit the integrity of Britain’s financial system, its broader
economy and threaten our national security.
Today’s action is part of a coordinated international effort with
partners in the UK and the United States to deploy financial
sanctions to prevent terrorist financing, shielding the UK’s
financial system and ensuring our open economy is not abused.
These latest designations build on three packages imposed on
Hamas and its associates with the United States, under the UK’s
International Counter-Terrorism sanctions regime:
- On 22 January 2024,
five individuals and one entity involved in arranging finance
for Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad were sanctioned
- On 13 December 2023,
leaders and financiers of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad
were sanctioned
- On 14 November 2023,
four members of Hamas and two financers were sanctioned
The UK continues to work closely with our partners to identify
further opportunities to disrupt Hamas and Palestinian Islamic
Jihad’s financial networks, including cutting off access to
funding being used to carry out atrocities. This work is ongoing
alongside that to reach a long-term political solution so that
Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace.
Further information
- From 27 March 2024, Sultana and Ayash and companies and
organisations owned or controlled by them are subject to an asset
freeze in the UK, the UK Crown Dependencies and Overseas
Territories.
- Regulation 5 of the domestic Counter Terrorism sanctions
regulations allows HM Treasury to designate people by name for
the purposes of freezing assets and preventing the making
available of funds, economic resources and financial services to
them or for their benefit. This makes it an offence for any UK
person or entity to do so over the course of doing business with
them or any of the companies or organisations they own or
control, or otherwise.
- An asset freeze means that it is generally prohibited to deal
with the funds or economic resources which are owned, held or
controlled by a designated person. Additionally, the Counter
Terrorism sanctions impose prohibitions on the making available
of funds, financial services or economic resources, directly or
indirectly to a designated person or for their benefit, and
actions that directly or indirectly circumvent the prohibitions.
- When an asset freeze is applied, the funds or economic
resources are frozen immediately by the person in possession or
control of them.
- Imposing an asset freeze does not change the ownership of the
frozen funds or economic resources and nor are they transferred
to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation or HM
Treasury for safekeeping.
Sanctioned individuals:
In addition to Sultana and Ayash as individuals, the designation
extends to companies and organisations controlled by them,
including Gaza Now, Aakhirah Limited, and Al-Qureshi Executives.
Hamas and PIJ themselves are already sanctioned by the UK, and
are subject to an asset freeze and arms embargo.
