Sanctions Bill Introduced on Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad

Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., and 12 co-sponsors introduced a bipartisan bill that would require the administration to send Congress a report identifying any foreign person or agency that “knowingly assists, sponsors, or provides significant financial or material support for, or financial or other services to” Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The report should also identify senior members of those two groups. The bill would require a number of sanctions toward those people and groups, including no exports of controlled technologies, and says that the executive branch could block all financial transactions with the people and groups, if it chooses. The same language passed the House by voice vote in July 2019. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., introduced a companion bill in the Senate during that Congress.