U.S. hits Hamas officials, company with sanctions

The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday sanctioned four Hamas officials and financiers and a Saudi Arabia-based company controlled by one of them for providing financial support to the Palestinian militant group.

Among those named by the Treasury Department were Salih al-Aruri, a Hamas political bureau member who it said was responsible for Hamas money transfers, and Mahir Salah, a Hamas financier based in Saudi Arabia and dual British and Jordanian citizen who Treasury said leads the Hamas Finance Committee in Saudi Arabia.

Also named were Abu Ubaydah Khayri Hafiz al-Agha, a Saudi Arabian citizen, and Mohammed Reda Mohammed Anwar Awad, an Egyptian national.

The Treasury Department also sanctioned Asyaf International Holding Group for Trading and Investment, a Saudi Arabia-based company that it said is managed by al-Agha and used to finance Hamas.