The U.S. Treasury Department announced on May 19 that it has sanctioned four individuals tied to a Gaza-bound flotilla and taken action against operatives within Hamas-aligned Muslim Brotherhood networks, labeling the operation a “pro-terror” effort designed to undermine American peace efforts in the region.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the flotilla as a “ludicrous attempt” to obstruct President Trump’s progress toward lasting peace. The sanctions target individuals associated with the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA) and Samidoun, an anti-Israel activist network that U.S. officials describe as a front for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

According to Treasury officials, the PCPA is clandestinely controlled by sanctioned Palestinian terrorist organizations and was established with funding from Hamas’s International Relations Bureau. Similarly, Samidoun serves as a fundraising platform in countries where the PFLP faces legal restrictions.

The designated individuals include:
– Saif Hashim Kamel Abukishek and Hisham Abdallah Sulayman Abu Mahfuz: leaders or officials of PCPA
– Mohammed Khatib and Jaldia Abubakra Aueda: leaders or officials of Samidoun

Treasury stated that the sanctions block U.S.-based property and interests in property of the designated persons and generally prohibit U.S. persons from transactions involving them.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces intercepted all remaining vessels of the activist flotilla on Tuesday during an attempt to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza. A live feed from the Global Sumud Flotilla website showed armed Israeli soldiers boarding the vessels as activists in life vests put their hands up; cameras mounted on the boats were destroyed. The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that no live ammunition was fired and that the operation used “non-lethal means” without targeting or injuring protesters.

Israeli authorities reported that all 430 detained activists, who had been held in Gaza, were transferred to Israeli vessels and would be brought to Israel to meet with consular representatives. The flotilla, which Israeli officials described as a “provocation for the sake of provocation,” carried only a symbolic amount of aid.

Treasury emphasized that the sanctions are part of a broader strategy to dismantle networks that exploit humanitarian or civil society branding to advance Hamas’s agenda.