It has been reported that Binance, a major cryptocurrency exchange, has frozen cryptocurrency accounts related to Hamas, an Islamic organization that effectively controls the Palestinian-controlled Gaza Strip. Reuters and other media reported on the 10th.
This move appears to have been made possible at the request of the Israeli side.
On the 10th, the Israeli police announced that its cyber department, in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense and the Israeli National Security Agency, had successfully frozen cryptocurrency accounts believed to be used to fund Hamas' activities.
Binance appears to have cooperated in this series of efforts. The number of frozen accounts and the total amount of cryptocurrency seized have not been disclosed.
A Binance representative who responded to an interview with Reuters said, "We are actively working with law enforcement and regulatory agencies around the world," indicating that they will continue to strengthen their efforts to combat terrorist financing.
Currently, the conflict between Israel and Hamas is intensifying. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has said that the country is in a "state of war," and has called up 300,000 reservists to completely surround Gaza, with no sign of a path to resolution.
Hamas has long been known to use cryptocurrencies to fund its activities. Since 2021, Israeli authorities have seized about 190 Binance accounts suspected of being linked to Hamas and other terrorist organizations.
These include accounts of Palestinian companies, some of which appear to have connections to Hamas.
Moves to utilize cryptocurrencies are also being seen on the Israeli side.
On the 9th, Israeli cryptocurrency-related companies established a fund called "Crypto Aid Israel" with the aim of raising funds for relief for displaced persons in need of humanitarian assistance.
The fund will accept donations in Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), stablecoins Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC), etc.
Source:Reuters, Israeli police report
Image: Shutterstock
![[NEWS] Binance freezes Hamas-related cryptocurrency accounts at Israel's request](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.microcms-assets.io%2Fassets%2F7819a9cf917e4bcd862bfa2ff5f14d24%2F6b4af5f7e7ff44ee8ad9503faa109296%2Fbiis_1139617637.jpg&w=3840&q=75)