OFAC Sanctioned a Hamas-Run Network. Yet Major Platforms Still Provide Services
Despite OFAC’s designation of the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, major tech and payment platforms continue to host or process parts of the network’s online operations and fundraising
On January 21, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA) and one of its senior officials, Zaher Birawi, as part of a network operated by the Hamas terrorist organization. As a result, any of their assets under U.S. jurisdiction are frozen, and doing business with them is prohibited.
The designation carries immediate compliance obligations for service providers. Yet a review of PCPA and Birawi’s digital infrastructure conducted by Jewish Onliner reveals that at least a dozen major U.S. and international companies continue actively processing services for the designated network — from domain registration and social media hosting to payment processing and web design.
Additionally, Jewish Onliner's review found that some of these platforms also facilitate fundraising for the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), of which Zaher Birawi is a founding member, which could raise sanctions-compliance questions depending on the relationship between the entities.
PCPA’s Extensive Digital Footprint
PCPA maintains an operational presence across multiple major platforms. The organization’s website (palabroad.org) is registered through GoDaddy, the American domain registrar. GoDaddy’s published terms require users to comply with applicable sanctions rules, which may prompt the company to review whether continuing to provide services to a domain associated with an OFAC-designated network is permitted under U.S. law.
PCPA's social media presence has been partially dismantled following the designation. The organization's Facebook and Instagram accounts have been taken down, as has its YouTube channel, which previously hosted 2,570 subscribers and more than 350 videos, including propaganda content and "shorts" that launched in May 2024.
However, PCPA continues to operate an X (formerly Twitter) account in Arabic with 10,400 followers, registered since December 2016 and based in Turkey according to platform data.
PCPA operates podcast channels on SoundCloud, hosting at least two programs — ”Topics Podcast” and “Naqash Podcast” — distributed to a global audience.
The organization’s website design was contracted to GLG Studio, a Los Angeles-based graphic design firm.
Birawi’s Personal Infrastructure and Associated Networks
Zaher Birawi maintains a personal X account in Arabic with over 6,000 followers, opened in August 2010. He also maintains a professional profile on LinkedIn, Microsoft’s professional networking platform, listing 161 connections.
Birawi chairs the International Committee for Breaking the Siege of Gaza, a coordinating body for flotilla operations. More significantly, Birawi also chairs EuroPal Forum, an associated organization that uses Cloudflare, Inc. for DNS, content delivery, and domain registry services.
Cloudflare’s services can materially support a site’s availability and performance by routing traffic and delivering content globally. As a U.S.-based provider, Cloudflare is subject to U.S. sanctions requirements, and OFAC designations can trigger compliance review questions about whether continued service is permissible when a site is affiliated with, or operated on behalf of, a designated party.
American Payment Processing Funding the PCPA
PayPal
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s primary U.S.-based chapter, US Boat to Gaza, counts Zaher Birawi among its founding members. The group is fiscally sponsored by Nonviolence International and solicits donations through a PayPal fundraising page.
Additionally, in 2024, the Brotherhood-linked PCPA launched the “Day” fundraising campaign on Ensany, an Islamic charitable crowdfunding platform based in Malaysia. This campaign was jointly operated by PCPA and Wijdan Charity, a project active from 2023 to 2025 that allegedly aimed to strengthen the role of Palestinian civil society organizations in the protection of human rights. According to its stated objectives, one of Wijdan’s goals was to launch a “comprehensive smear campaign” opposing Israeli actions in the village of Masafer Yatta.
The Ensany platform also processes payments for the PCPA campaign through PayPal, and so far more than $71,000 have been raised. PayPal, therefore, appears to be used to process donations connected to the PCPA on at least two fronts: funding of the FFC chapters, and the “Brotherhood Day” campaign.
VISA and Mastercard
Visa and Mastercard provide transaction services to international crowdfunding platforms where PCPA runs fundraising campaigns for the FFC.
For example, the Canadian Boat to Gaza group raises funds through the Canadian-based Interac e-Transfer, which accepts both VISA and Mastercard credit cards for donations. Kia Ora Gaza, the FFC’s New Zealand chapter, raises funds through a dedicated local bank account at Westpac Bank, which accepts donations through VISA/Mastercard credit cards.
GoFundMe
Activists affiliated with the FFC opened a fundraising campaign for its American chapter on GoFundMe, which has raised over $16,000 in donations to date.
Service Provider Responses
Jewish Onliner reached out to the service providers identified in this report for comment on their continued availability of services to PCPA and the FFC following the former’s OFAC designation.
PayPal responded, stating:
“We take our regulatory and compliance obligations seriously, including enforcing U.S. economic and trade sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Our goal is to deliver a seamless payments experience while we do our job in making sure payments made on our platforms comply with applicable law.”
Mastercard responded, stating:
“We have zero tolerance for illegal activity on our network and take seriously our responsibility to maintain strong governance standards. This includes using a combination of the latest technologies and best practices to monitor, analyze and understand the activity on our network. If we identify potentially suspicious activity on our network, we investigate to determine the facts of the situation and what next steps may be required to quickly, clearly and decisively address and remediate any areas of concern.”
Neither company provided specific details on how they will enforce compliance with OFAC sanctions or address the continued availability of fundraising campaigns of PCPA and FFC.
Other service providers contacted—including GoDaddy, X, SoundCloud, LinkedIn, Cloudflare, GLG Studio, and GoFundMe—did not respond to requests for comment.
Jewish Onliner makes no determination as to whether any platform is in violation of sanctions rules; compliance assessments depend on facts not publicly available and are ultimately determined by regulators.
Compliance Implications
OFAC’s designation of Birawi and the PCPA create binding legal obligations for U.S. persons and entities. Companies identified as service providers face regulatory scrutiny and potential enforcement action if they continue processing services for designated parties or their organizational networks. The Treasury Department has previously imposed significant penalties on financial institutions and payment processors for violation of designation orders.