Court-authorized actions have enabled federal authorities to confiscate $560,000 in cryptocurrency and take control of domains and servers used by Hamas to fund terrorist activities and recruit supporters, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
Hamas, designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, has been actively soliciting funds for terrorist operations and expanding its support base, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“This is a clear message to Hamas: We will dismantle your fundraising for terror,” Pirro stated. “Your networks are exposed, your cryptocurrency is traceable, and we will not relent until your capacity for warfare is eliminated.”
In addition to seizing cryptocurrency donations, the Department of Justice disrupted Hamas’s communication platforms and websites used for fundraising and recruitment. These assets were originally managed by Hamas’s military wing, the Al Qassam Brigades, through infrastructure and cryptocurrency addresses central to their operations. The effort was led by the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, working alongside human sources to identify and take control of the domains and servers that supported the group’s primary website, AlQassam.ps.
“These actions strip Hamas of critical resources used to recruit and radicalize individuals online and finance violent attacks like the October 7, 2023 incident,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg.
“We are tightening pressure on Hamas’s ability to carry out terror by infiltrating its digital networks, seizing its assets, and shutting down its online presence.”
Brett Leatherman, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Cyber Division, emphasized that Hamas relies heavily on cryptocurrency and online platforms to collect donations globally and transfer funds beyond traditional financial oversight.
He reaffirmed the FBI’s commitment to leveraging its investigative powers to intercept illegal funds and block terrorist groups from exploiting digital systems for financing their operations.
