Treasury’s Latest Terror Sanctions May Point to Masar Badil as Next Target
Treasury sanctioned Samidoun’s Mohammed Khatib and other Hamas-linked network figures, but his Masar Badil co-leaders remain untouched despite overlapping roles in the same PFLP-linked ecosystem.
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The U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned four individuals on May 19 as part of its expanding campaign against Hamas-linked international support networks, including activists tied to pro-Hamas flotilla operations and Samidoun, a group already designated as a front for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Two of the newly sanctioned figures, Mohammed Khatib and Jaldia Abubakra, are not only Samidoun officials. They also hold leadership roles in Masar Badil, a Europe-based group that German officials and counterterrorism researchers have described as closely intertwined with Samidoun. That overlap sharpens the question of whether Masar Badil is becoming the next logical focus of enforcement scrutiny.
The Clone Organization Pattern
Treasury's May 19 press release noted that "Hamas relies on a diverse web of international partners to expand its malign political influence, facilitate violent terrorist activity, and undermine international efforts to achieve lasting peace in Gaza" language that suggests awareness of how these networks adapt to evade enforcement. Sacha Stawski, president of German nonprofit Honestly Concerned, explained this tactic in a statement to Jewish Onliner in 2025:
“Samidoun has received too much negative attention, leading to it being outlawed in Germany. Thus a new proxy was needed under which to continue to same activities with the same key actors, something which is common for many terrorist organizations, who operate under separate entities, despite belonging to one and the same umbrella. PFLP = Samidoun = Masar Badil.” — Sacha Stawski
Masar Badil, which launched in November 2021, fits this pattern precisely. According to reports from the Anti-Defamation League and NGO Monitor, Masar Badil’s leadership overlaps directly with Samidoun’s:
Khaled Barakat, co-founder of Masar Badil, is also Samidoun’s head and a designated PFLP foreign operations leader, sanctioned by Treasury in October 2024.
Stu Smith@thestustustudioMasar Badil, the Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement, was founded by Khaled Barakat, a PFLP-linked activist and the husband of Samidoun leader Charlotte Kates. For a sense of its ideology, I would suggest this thread.
Stu Smith @thestustustudioResistance 101 🧵 This event was hosted by Columbia University Apartheid Divest. It was originally going to be at the Barnard Center for Research on Women but was moved last minute to Columbia. This event featured the following speakers Nerdeen Kiswani the Chair of Within Our8:37 PM · Mar 29, 2026 · 2.46K Views12 Replies · 9 Reposts · 29 LikesMohammed Khatib, sanctioned Monday for his Samidoun role, serves on Masar Badil’s executive committee.
Ambassador Idit Rosenzweig-Abu@IditAbuBREAKING: The US Department of Treasury has just issued sanctions on Mohammed Khatib, head of #Samidoun, who resides in Belgium Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent: “Treasury will continue to sever Hamas’ global financial support networks, no matter where in the world they
4:17 PM · May 19, 2026 · 8.98K Views18 Replies · 151 Reposts · 481 LikesCharlotte Kates, Samidoun’s international coordinator, is listed as the registered contact for Masar Badil’s website.
NGO Monitor@NGOmonitor“When we have spoken about October 7 as a brave, heroic operation, that is something that we stand by 100%” Samidoun’s International Coordinator Charlotte Kates told @Tom_Winter of @NBCNews. Due to its ties to the PFLP (a US-designated terror org) and the Iranian regime,
Tom Winter @Tom_WinterNEW: We spoke with one of the organizations who helped organize some of the spring protests at college campuses. What do they believe? What do they want? What are they supporting today? What do they think of Hamas? Our interview and story: https://t.co/7vRzCZtzpl11:10 AM · Oct 9, 2024 · 749 Views2 Replies · 5 Reposts · 7 LikesJaldia Abubakra, sanctioned Monday as Samidoun’s Madrid coordinator, sits on Masar Badil’s executive committee.
Germany Is Already Moving
German authorities have shown increasing concern about Masar Badil’s activities. In January 2025, Felix Klein, Germany’s antisemitism commissioner, warned about the group’s use of the Middle East conflict to spread hate. The German government confirmed in November 2024 that Masar Badil is 'closely intertwined' with the banned Samidoun 'in terms of personnel and strategy
German lawmakers from multiple parties — including SPD, FDP, Green Party, and CSU — have called for a ban on the organization. In February 2025, German NGOs Honestly Concerned and Democ published detailed reports urging EU authorities to designate Masar Badil as a terrorist organization.
The Logical Next Step?
Monday’s sanctions demonstrate Treasury’s systematic approach to dismantling Hamas support networks that now point toward Masar Badil. According to experts, leadership overlap with a designated terrorist group may become a significant factor if authorities determine that an entity is acting for, controlled by, directed by, or materially supporting a sanctioned organization. Treasury designated Khatib and Abubakra specifically for being “leaders or officials of Samidoun” and they both hold the same positions at Masar Badil.
Germany’s government has already confirmed that Masar Badil is controlled by banned Samidoun members. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated Monday that “Treasury will continue to sever Hamas’ global financial support networks, no matter where in the world they are.”