Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has imposed sanctions on a crowdfunding campaign organized by Hamas to raise money for the Gaza flotilla to the Gaza Strip, which left Barcelona on April 15.
The imposition of sanctions is a “significant step” in the effort to disrupt the flotilla’s funding sources, the ministry said on Wednesday. It is intended to deter donors from providing funds to Hamas, a terror group.
The sanctions are part of a broader Israeli effort, which includes U.S. involvement, to counter attempts by Hamas and others to destabilize the Gaza Strip, according to the ministry.
“The flotilla violates U.N. Resolution 2803, which stipulates that aid to the Gaza Strip will enter through the accepted official channels, and therefore undermines the Trump administration’s settlement efforts as part of its efforts to achieve regional stability,” the statement continued.
Funds raised for the flotilla are not always transparent or legal, according to the ministry. Recently, members of the flotilla network were arrested in Tunisia on suspicion of money laundering and corruption. Leaders of the organization were detained in a number of other place due to similar suspicions, the statement noted.
According to Israeli law, the Defense Ministry can seize property of a terror group if it will thwart terrorist activity or impair a terror group’s ability to advance its goals.
The declared aim of the self-titled “Global Sumud Flotilla,” which includes more than 100 ships and 1,000 participants, is to “open a humanitarian corridor” to the Gaza Strip.
