The United States on Tuesday placed several individuals linked to the Global Sumud Flotilla on its sanctions blacklist. The flotilla aims to break the blockade on Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians, with some of the targeted individuals based in Europe.
In a statement, the US State Department said “Today’s designations target three categories of Hamas enablers: organizers of a Hamas-backed flotilla attempting to reach Gaza; operatives within Hamas-aligned Muslim Brotherhood networks that facilitate violent terrorist attacks; and coordinators of Samidoun, a front organization for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).”
Among those sanctioned were several activists living in European countries, including Spain and Belgium.
The sanctions list included Mohammed Al-Khatib, the European coordinator for the Samidoun network, who lives in Belgium. Belgian authorities had announced two years ago that they intended to revoke his refugee status.
Samidoun is a global solidarity network focused on the situation of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
The US sanctions also targeted Saif Abu Kheshek, an activist involved in the Sumud Flotilla, who was recently detained by Israeli forces off the Greek coast and imprisoned before being deported to Barcelona.
Several ships have attempted to break the blockade imposed on Gaza, which has been devastated by the Israeli war that began after the 7th October 2023 attack and has left the territory facing severe shortages of essential supplies.
READ: Amnesty International condemns Israel’s move to block Gaza aid flotilla as “shameful and inhumane”
