Trump and Netanyahu form a united front against Hamas and Iran
Former Deputy National Security Advisor Steve Yates joins ‘America’s Newsroom’ to address US-Venezuela tensions and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s alliance with President Donald Trump as they push to disarm Hamas and shut down Iran.
The Trump administration has increased pressure on Sir Keir Starmer after imposing sanctions on a British-based activist accused by US intelligence of working on behalf of Hamas, reports have revealed.
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced on January 21 that it is “taking action against Hamas’s covert ties to nonprofit organizations.”
The statement went on to name six Gaza-based groups and the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA).
U.S. officials said the PCPA acts as a front for Hamas abroad. OFAC also named Zaher Birawi, 64, and accused him of being a “senior official” in Hamas due to his leadership role in the PCPA.
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The Trump administration has punished British-based activist Zaher Birawi, who is accused of links to Hamas, and has pressured Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to take similar action against the London resident. (Mark Kerrison/In photos via Getty Images)
The Treasury Department said Birawi is a founding member of the organization and part of its general secretariat, claiming the group was used to “clandestinely expand” Hamas’s international influence and fundraising.
This included support flotillas attempting to reach Gaza. Some have received public support from prominent activists, including Greta Thunberg.
“Hamas continues to show callous disregard for the well-being of the Palestinian people,” John K. Hurley, the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said in a speech. statement.
Hurley added that “the Trump administration will not look the other way while Hamas’ leaders and enablers exploit the financial system to fund terrorist operations.”
TRUMP ADMIN WEIGHS TERRORISM SANCTIONS AGAINST UN PALESTINIAN AID AGENCY OVER HAMAS MOVES
Greta Thunberg with Zaher Birawi (second from left), who Israel says has ties to Hamas. (Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
The sanctions have put pressure on Britain, which has been exploring possible anti-terror measures against Birawi for weeks, according to the British newspaper The Guardian. The times.
Britain’s shadow home secretary, Chris Philp, said it was “good to see” the US taking action, adding: “Britain should under no circumstances be a haven for anyone involved in or supporting terrorist (organisations) such as Hamas.”
Alex Hearn of Labor Against Antisemitism said Birawi continued to broadcast from London and organized flotillas despite the US appointment.
Lord Austin of Dudley has urged Britain to examine the intelligence “very carefully”.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (left) and US President Donald Trump shake hands during a joint press conference in the East Room of the White House on February 27, 2025 in Washington. (Carl Court/Pool photo via AP)
Birawi, who lives in Barnet, North London, has lived in Britain for more than 30 years.
He chairs the Palestine Forum in Britain and is a prominent organizer of pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the city.
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He has been named in parliament as a security concern, and Israel appointed him a Hamas member in 2013, charges he has consistently denied.
In 2023, Birawi said he was a “law-abiding British citizenHe rejected claims of ties to Hamas and said his work focuses on “defending the national and human rights of Palestinians surviving under the occupation.”
