The European Council has adopted sanctions against three Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad entities, in light of "their responsibilities in the brutal and indiscriminate terrorist attacks" that occurred across Israel on October 7.
The listed entities are:
- Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad
- Nukhba Force, a special forces unit of Hamas
- Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas
They are now subject to an asset freeze and a travel ban to the European Union, the EU Council said Friday in a news release, adding, "the provision of funds to them, directly or indirectly, is now also prohibited."
Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Israel Katz welcomed the decision. It "sends a clear message: those who murder, rape, burn, abuse the bodies of babies, girls, women, and men, and commit atrocities against humanity - will pay the price," Katz said in a post on X.
Some context: In March, a United Nations team found “clear and convincing” information that hostages in Gaza were sexually abused, and there are “reasonable grounds” to believe the sexual violence is ongoing.
CNN's Richard Roth contributed previous reporting to this post.