Israeli Authorities Issue Seizure Order Against 84 Hamas-linked Crypto Wallets that Received Over $11 Million Since October 2015
On 7 July 2021, Israel’s National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing (NBCTF) ordered the seizure of 84 crypto asset wallets that it believed to be linked with Hamas. Pursuant to the order given by NBCTF, Israeli officials issued an Administrative Seizure Order (seizure order) under Section 66 of the Anti-Terrorism Law of 2016. According to the seizure order, Hamas-linked crypto asset wallets and associated addresses should be considered as the ‘designated property’ of Hamas that is being used for perpetuation of ‘severe terror crime.’ Hamas is considered to be one of the largest Palestinian militant groups. In fact, a vast majority of nations including the European Union, United States, Israel, and the United Kingdom have classified Hamas as a “terrorist organization.” However, as the efforts to lock Hamas out of traditional financial systems continue, Hamas is witnessing a surge in cryptocurrency donations, particularly Bitcoin.
