The Trump administration is preparing to enact a new wave of sanctions targeting Hamas for its use of Gazan civilians as human shields, invoking a powerful law passed in 2018 but left unenforced by the Biden administration. The law mandates sanctions against terror groups including Hamas, Hezbollah, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad that exploit civilian populations to shield military operations, a tactic widely condemned as a war crime under international law. Although President Joe Biden signed a 2024 legislative update strengthening the law requiring a Pentagon report and expanding its reach his administration never issued related sanctions, drawing bipartisan criticism. Now, under renewed leadership, the Treasury and State Departments have pledged to use “every tool available” to hold Hamas and its affiliates accountable. A Treasury spokesperson said, “We are pleased to be reversing course in order to keep Americans and our allies safe... Hamas and other terrorists will face the full force of U.S. law.” The sanctions will allow the Trump administration to target any Hamas figure involved in the use of human shields, potentially seizing property and freezing assets, while expanding financial penalties already in place. This move is part of a broader “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran and its terror proxies. Senator Ted Cruz, who authored the original legislation, criticized the Biden administration for its failure to enforce the law. “Imposing such sanctions would make clear that the U.S. government does not tolerate the use of human shields,” Cruz said. “The reason they didn’t is because they were committed to undermining our Israeli allies.” Hamas, recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, Canada, and Israel, has long used civilians, including children, as shields for military infrastructure launching rockets from hospitals, schools, and densely populated residential areas. In a significant shift in Middle Eastern geopolitics, China and Egypt launched their first joint military exercise near the Israeli border, a move closely watched by Israeli defense officials. The drill, titled “Eagles of Civilization 2025,” began Sunday at Wadi Abu Rish Air Base, about 100 kilometers west of the Gulf of Suez, and is scheduled to run through mid-May. Chinese and Egyptian defense ministries described the drill as a move to “deepen military cooperation and trust”, while Israeli observers and Western analysts see a more complex strategic picture. The exercise follows recent joint naval drills involving China, Russia, and Iran in the Persian Gulf signaling Beijing’s growing ambitions to assert itself in a region traditionally under American influence. Egypt, still a major recipient of $1.5 billion in annual U.S. military aid, has rejected American proposals to absorb displaced Gazans, instead advancing its own regional initiatives. Its deepening ties with China may reflect Cairo’s desire to diversify partnerships while asserting more independence in defense policy. [57 minutes]
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