Govt monitoring US sanctions bill against Hamas supporters

The government is currently monitoring the decision of the United States House of Representatives to pass a bill regarding restrictions on foreign entities that support Hamas and the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine on Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir said the ministry will thoroughly examine the contents of the bill before taking further action, according to Bernama.

“The situation in Palestine has worsened and as of today, the death toll reported is over 8,700 people and this is highly disappointing. Moreover, the number of people who have lost their homes or are displaced has reached 14 million individuals in total and this is extremely saddening.

“On one side, continuous bombings are taking place, and on the other side, they are not pursuing the best path to resolve the issue. Instead, they are further complicating the situation, making it difficult to achieve a positive outcome that would allow us to immediately halt these attacks and facilitate the entry of humanitarian assistance,” he said.

He told this to reporters after attending the Diploma in Diplomacy graduation ceremony at the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.

The ‘Hamas and Other Palestinian Terrorist Groups International Financing Prevention Bill’, which was first tabled in January, requires the US president to impose sanctions against foreigners who knowingly provide significant financial, material, or technological support to certain militant groups in Palestine.

These groups are Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, the Lion’s Den, or “any affiliate or successor thereof”.

The president is required to impose economic sanctions against these supporters within 180 days after the bill becomes law.

The law also requires the US president to come up with a list of countries that provide such support for these groups within 90 days of the law being enacted and impose sanctions within 180 days.

The president may waive the enforcement of some of its provisions, particularly on humanitarian grounds.

The bill will next be considered by the US Senate. - Mkini