EU puts Sinwar on sanctions blacklist

The European Union has listed Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, on its terrorist sanctions blacklist in response to the October 7 attacks on Israel. Sinwar is subject to an asset freeze and transaction ban within the 27-nation EU.

In the past, the EU added other senior Hamas figures, like military commander Mohammed Deif and his deputy Marwan Issa, to the terror list.

The listing follows a multi-step procedural framework where EU experts evaluate proposals by member states based on their own legal determinations concerning terrorism.

Following the addition, a detailed statement is published, and measures like asset freezes are typically enforced alongside the listing.

Sinwar becomes the third senior Hamas leader to be sanctioned by the EU since the latest Middle Eastern conflict began.

Israel has welcomed the move. Foreign Minister Israel Katz described the EU's decision as moral recompense for the EU's diplomatic efforts to constrain Hamas's resources and delegitimize it.

Hamas has criticized the EU's decision as biased. Taher al-Nounou, media advisor for Hamas's political bureau, ridiculed the sanctions as irrelevant, arguing that Sinwar doesn't hold financial accounts in or outside Palestine.

An Israeli publication (Maariv) described Sinwar as "the butcher of Khan Younis," revealing aspects of his past and alleged role in the killing of suspected Palestinian informers. It also covered Sinwar’s time in Israeli prison, his fluency in Hebrew, and the perception of him as a tough negotiator.

Al Monitor mentioned that France had already frozen Sinwar's assets for six months prior to the EU action.