Sanctioning All Palestinian Terror Groups

Two weeks ago, the U.S. Congress made progress towards the goal of designating all Palestinian terrorist groups as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs).

Amidst the heightened media focus on Hamas, the most powerful Palestinian terrorist organization, readers of the news may overlook the other Palestinian terror groups currently inflaming the Middle East. An evolving armada of paramilitary factions based in Gaza and Judea & Samaria (the West Bank) — mostly proxies of Iran — pursues the fanatical mission of killing Israelis. The list of such secondary gangs includes, at a minimum, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), Jaysh al-Ummah (Jaysh), Adb al-Qadir al Husseini Brigades (Abd al-Qadir), the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement (PMM), and the Lion’s Den.

Hamas, PIJ, and PFLP are already U.S.-designated FTOs. Any individual or entity designated as an FTO cannot access financial assets it may have in the U.S. Those assets are effectively severed from the global financial system. In addition, those who provide material support to an FTO may be subject to civil and criminal penalties. The FTO designation process involves consultation among the Treasury Department, the State Department, and the Attorney General. Once the individual or entity is designated, the resulting financial penalty is imposed by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

The five other above-named militias have not been designated as FTOs. Yet they all meet the criteria for designation under the applicable U.S. executive order. An individual or entity may be designated if it: (a) commits “acts of terrorism that threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the U.S.;” or (b) “assists in or provides … support for … acts of terrorism or [designated FTOs].” The PRC, considered the third-largest terrorist group in Gaza, participated in the October 7, 2023 massacre of Israelis and on other occasions killed Americans. Jaysh has published statements boasting of attacks on Israeli Defense Forces in Gaza. Abd al-Qadir militants are also fighting in Gaza. PMM, active in Gaza and the West Bank, has claimed responsibility for rocket fire on Israel. Lion’s Den has attacked Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank since 2022. The militant cell was once sanctioned under a separate U.S. executive order that was subsequently rescinded.

On March 25^th a bipartisan group of congressmen introduced a bill urging the Trump administration to consider designating the PRC and the Lion’s Den as “specially designated global terrorists,” a more recent and broadly applicable version of an FTO. By implication, the congressional move would compel similar sanctioning of all Palestinian terror groups.

FTO designation for the full set of Palestinian terror squads would serve multiple goals. As a matter of foreign policy, the designation would show the U.S. consistently opposes all these murderous groups. As a practical matter, the FTO ruling would help end the Gaza war by squeezing the financial resources that support the Islamist fighters. The decision may additionally influence America’s allies to apply their own anti-terrorist designations to the targeted groups, thus further constraining their injurious financial activities. The action would also help prevent the jihadis from seizing control of Gaza in a post-Hamas era. For the sake of Israelis and Gazans alike, Hamas must not be replaced by another terrorist tyranny. Finally, extending FTO status to all Palestinian terror groups would strengthen the U.S. policy of “maximum pressure” on their terrorist mastermind, Iran. By inhibiting Iran’s proxy armies, the U.S. and its allies could defuse Iran’s primary means of attacking Israel.

Freezing the funds of Palestinian militants would not, by itself, eliminate Palestinian terrorism. But if the effort prevents just one terrorist shooting, stabbing, or roadside bombing, it would surely be worthwhile.