US hits Palestinian NGOs with sanctions, alleging militant links

The Trump administration imposed sanctions on a leading Palestinian human rights organization as well as five charity groups in the Middle East and Europe on Tuesday, accusing them of supporting Palestinian militants including Hamas.

The rights group targeted is Addameer, which provides legal services to Palestinians detained by Israel or the Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank and monitors their conditions. Israel has previously accused the group of channeling aid to militants.

Addameer and the other groups targeted did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In a statement, the U.S. Treasury Department said that Addameer "has long supported and is affiliated" with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), whose armed wing has carried out deadly attacks against Israelis. The U.S. and EU regard PFLP as a terrorist organization.

Israel raided the West Bank offices of Addameer and other groups in 2022 over their alleged PFLP links. The United Nations condemned that raid at the time, saying that Israeli authorities had not presented to the United Nations any credible evidence to justify their declarations.

The other entities hit with sanctions on Tuesday include the Israa Charitable Foundation, based in the Netherlands; Filistin Vakfi, based in Turkey; Al Weam Charitable Society, based in Gaza; and Associazione Benefica La Cupola d’Oro, based in Italy. Some of the groups' leaders were also sanctioned.

The Treasury Department accused the groups of operating "sham charities ... that are responsible for funding Hamas's Military Wing under the pretense of conducting humanitarian work, both internationally and in Gaza."

President Donald Trump's administration is trying to broker a deal between Israel and Hamas to end the war in Gaza. The U.S. has proposed a 60-day ceasefire between the warring parties.