US State Department offers $10 million for information on 'Hamas financiers'

The United States is offering up to $10 million for information on five Hamas financiers or anything leading to the disruption of the Palestinian group's financial mechanisms, the State Department said on Friday.

The reward offering the large sum of money follows four rounds of US sanctions on Hamas after the group carried out an unprecedented attack in Israel on 7 October that killed an estimated 1,100 people.

Israel has gone on to wage a merciless military campaign in Gaza that has killed almost 23,000 people and left much of the Palestinian territory in ruins.

The five alleged financiers are Abdelbasit Hamza Elhassan Khair, Amer Kamal Sharif Alshawa, Ahmed Sadu Jahleb, Walid Mohammed Mustafa Jadallah, and Muhammad Ahmad ‘Abd Al-Dayim Nasrallah, who have all been previously designated global terrorists by the United States, the department said in a statement.

The first financier, known as Hamza, is based in Sudan, has managed numerous companies in Hamas’ investment portfolio and was involved in the transfer of almost $20 million to Hamas, the department said.

He is tied to former Sudanese President Omar Bashir and Islamist groups undermining stability in Sudan, according to the State Department.

Three of the Hamas operatives cited - Amer Kamal Sharif Alshawa, Ahmed Sadu Jahleb, and Walid Mohammed Mustafa Jadallah - are part of the group's investment network in Turkey, the department said.

Nasrallah has close ties to Iranian entities and has been involved in the transfer of tens of millions of dollars to Hamas, including its military wing, the agency said. The department said in October that he was based in Qatar.

The rewards would be provided for information on any source of revenue for Hamas, major donors, financial institutions that facilitate transactions for Hamas, front companies that procure dual-use technology for the group and criminal schemes that benefit Hamas, the State Department said. 

The US is Israel's main backer, standing by Tel Aviv as it conducts a brutal onslaught that has lasted three months.

However, Washington has more recently pushed for Israel to carry our 'more targeted' operations that kill less civilians.

The State Department statement came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken continued his visit to the Middle East, including Israel, with the stated aim of pushing for de-escalation and getting more aid for Gaza.