Progressive International Hosts Event With U.S.-Sanctioned UN Official Francesca Albanese
Event led by U.S.-based Palestinian Youth Movement features sanctioned UN official Francesca Albanese; international fundraising through Stripe amplifies potential OFAC concerns
Progressive International is hosting a "People's Congress for The Hague Group" in Amsterdam on on March 7, Jewish Onliner has learned. The conference will be led by the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), Al-Quds University, and the BDS Movement. It will feature Francesca Albanese, a UN official who was designated as a specially designated national by the U.S. Treasury in July 2025, alongside delegates with alleged links to U.S.-designated terrorist organizations.
The designation against Albanese, imposed under Executive Order 14203, prohibits U.S. citizens and entities from conducting any transactions with her. The purpose of the designation was that Albanese directly engaged with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in efforts to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute nationals of the United States or Israel, without the consent of those two countries.
The U.S.-based Palestinian Youth Movement operates through fiscal sponsorship from Honor the Earth and has received funding from organizations like the California Endowment. Organizers are calling the gathering to “End the Nakba” and plan to direct all proceeds toward humanitarian aid in Gaza
However, Progressive International appears to rely on U.S.-based Stripe to handle donations. On its main support page, donors are directed to Stripe's billing portal. The Amsterdam event uses a similar setup: the fundraising form is hosted by Action Network, but backend source code appears to show that credit-card payments are processed through Stripe.
The arrangement raises potential OFAC compliance questions, particularly given Albanese's sanctions status and PYM's involvement as a U.S.-based organizer of the event.
Delegates & Supporters Connected to Organizations With Alleged Terror Ties
The event’s delegate list includes individuals with troubling organizational affiliations. Ahmed Alnaouq, listed as representing “Palestine Deep Dive,” co-founded We Are Not Numbers (WANN) with American activist Pam Bailey.
However, investigative reporting by GnasherJew has documented that Alnaouq’s brother, Ayman, was an active member of Hamas’s military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, and was killed in an Israeli airstrike in 2014. WANN is fiscally sponsored in the U.S. by Nonviolence International, and registered in Gaza under the umbrella of Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor (EuroMed), which has been identified as an alleged Hamas front group.
Another delegate at the event is Jake Romm, who represents the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), an organization led by Dyab Abou Jahjah, who described himself in a 2003 New York Times profile as a “very proud” former Hezbollah member with “some military training.” Abou Jahjah was arrested by Belgian authorities in 2002 for inciting riots in Antwerp and has repeatedly praised Hezbollah and Hamas on social media. He publicly stated he met with former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in 2001.
The event also includes participation from Miftah. According to NGO Monitor findings, former Miftah employees have included members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a U.S.-designated terror group. NGO Monitor has also documented that Miftah has hosted and cooperated with members of the U.S.-sanctioned Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP).
Controversial Speaker Lineup
The event’s speaker list also includes former U.K. Member of Parliament Jeremy Corbyn and climate activist Greta Thunberg. According to Israeli government documents released in September 2025, the Global Sumud Flotilla, with which Thunberg has been affiliated, had direct Hamas involvement in its organization and financing.
Palestinian journalist Hind Khoudary is also listed as a speaker. According to a 2020 New York Times investigation, Khoudary posted angry denunciations on Facebook of peace activist Rami Aman and others on a Zoom call, tagging three Hamas officials, to get their attention. The post ultimately led to Aman’s arrest by Hamas.
Broader Compliance Concerns
The combination of a U.S.-based organization leading an event for an organization collecting international donations through U.S. payment infrastructure—while featuring a sanctioned individual and organizations with alleged terror group affiliations—presents significant potential regulatory concerns.
Progressive International's stated commitment to directing proceeds toward humanitarian aid in Gaza does not clarify which organizations or individuals will ultimately receive these funds.
Jewish Onliner reached out to Progressive International for comment on this article but did not receive an immediate response.