UK imposes sanctions targeting Hamas financing

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain on Monday sanctioned individuals linked to Hamas, including financiers and leaders of the Palestinian militant group, saying the measures would help cut off its funding including from Iran.

The move was taken in coordination with the United States.

The British sanctions target Zuheir Shamlakh, a man known as Hamas's "main money changer", and a key figure involved in the group's shift towards cryptocurrencies who helped transfer large sums of money from Iran to Hamas ahead of the group's Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, Britain's foreign office said.

"These sanctions send a clear message to Hamas - the UK and our partners are committed to ensuring there is no hiding place for those financing terrorist activities," British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said.

The sanctions also target a senior official of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another militant group.

(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan, writing by Sachin Ravikumar; editing by William James)