Overview
Ismail Barhum was an internationally designated Hamas leader who served as a financial and political official for the terror organization. In the aftermath of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Barhum as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) on December 13, 2023, for his role in coordinating Hamas funding.“U.S. And UK Target Additional Hamas Finance Officials and Representatives,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 13, 2023, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1981. Barhum died in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip on March 23, 2025.Nurit Yohanan, “Hamas confirms senior official killed in hospital attack,” Times of Israel, March 23, 2025, https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/hamas-confirms-senior-official-killed-in-hospital-attack/.
It is unclear when Barhum joined Hamas in an official capacity, but on March 14, 2021, Hamas elected Barhum to its governing shura council as a member of the Gaza Strip Political Bureau.“U.S. And UK Target Additional Hamas Finance Officials and Representatives,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 13, 2023, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1981.The Gaza Strip Political Bureau is one of several regional political bodies that represent the West Bank, Gaza, the Palestinian diaspora, and prisoners in Israeli custody. The regional political bureaus are elected by consultative bodies known as regional shura councils.“Mapping Palestinian Politics,” European Council on Foreign Relations, accessed August 19, 2024, https://ecfr.eu/special/mapping_palestinian_politics/.
Along with his appointment as a member of the Gaza Strip Politburo, Barhum had reportedly served as the head of one of Hamas’s regional finance departments. Working alongside Hamas’s top financial officer, Zaher Jabarin, Barhum aggregated global fundraising profits and allocated the funds into official Hamas Finance Ministry accounts.“U.S. And UK Target Additional Hamas Finance Officials and Representatives,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 13, 2023, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1981. Barhum headed the Hamas Charitable Institutions Association, a role in which he oversaw 400 charities serving as fronts to channel funds to Hamas.“Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad: Council adds six individuals and three entities to the sanctions list,” Council of the European Union, June 28, 2024, https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/06/28/hamas-and-palestinian-islamic-jihad-council-adds-six-individuals-and-three-entities-to-the-sanctions-list/.
Barhum’s activities directly contributed to Hamas’s ongoing campaigns of violence. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a mass attack on Israel, sending hundreds of fighters across the border into Israeli towns while simultaneously launching a rocket barrage toward Israel.Josef Federman and Issam Adwan, “Hamas surprise attack out of Gaza stuns Israel and leaves hundreds dead in fighting, retaliation,” Associated Press, October 7, 2023, https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2. Hamas killed approximately 1,200 people in the attack and took hostage at least 250 civilians and soldiers.Peter Saidel and Dov Lieber, “Hamas Took More Than 200 Hostages From Israel. Here’s What to Know.,” Wall Street Journal, November 6, 2023, https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/hamas-hostages-israel-gaza-41432124; “Israel revises Hamas attack death toll to ‘around 1,200,’” Reuters, November 10, 2023, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-revises-death-toll-oct-7-hamas-attack-around-1200-2023-11-10/. The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated multiple Hamas officials in the aftermath of October 7. In the fourth round of sanctions on December 13, 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Barhum as an SDGT. Shortly after, the United Kingdom added Barhum to its financial sanctions list on January 22, 2024.“CONSOLIDATED LIST OF FINANCIAL SANCTIONS TARGETS IN THE UK,” Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, January 25, 2024, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65b2442a160765001118f8ca/Counter-Terrorism__International_.pdf.
Several countries and international bodies subsequently added Barhum to their financial sanctions lists. Japan, Switzerland, France, and the European Union added Barhum to their sanctions lists on March 5, “Ismail Barhoum,” Open Sanctions, accessed August 19, 2024, https://www.opensanctions.org/entities/NK-LnZujGu463AztKnste4dz8/; “国連安保理決議第１３７３号に基づく資産凍結等の措置の対象者 令和６年５月１０日現在,” Japan Ministry of Finance, accessed August 19, 2024, https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/files/100037860.pdf. April 10,State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, “Verordnung vom 10. April 2024 über Massnahmen gegenüber Personen und Organisationen, welche die Hamas oder den Palästinensischen Islamischen Dschihad unterstützen,” July 9, 2024, https://www.seco.admin.ch/dam/seco/de/dokumente/Aussenwirtschaft/Wirtschaftsbeziehungen/Exportkontrollen/Sanktionen/Verordnungen/Hamas/hamas_2024-07-09.pdf.download.pdf/hamas_2024-07-09.pdf. and June 28, 2024, “Ismail Barhoum,” Open Sanctions, accessed August 19, 2024, https://www.opensanctions.org/entities/NK-LnZujGu463AztKnste4dz8/; “Ismail Barhoum,” Direction générale du Trésor, accessed August 19, 2024, https://gels-avoirs.dgtresor.gouv.fr/Gels/RegistreDetail?idRegistre=7602. respectively. Belgium also added Barhum to its financial sanctions list on July 8, 2024.Federale Overheidsdienst Financien, “Belgian Financial Sanctions,” Open Sanctions, accessed August 19, 2024, https://data.opensanctions.org/datasets/20240819/be_fod_sanctions/targets.simple.csv?v=20240819121703-kba.
In March 2025, Barhum allegedly became Hamas’s new prime minister in Gaza following the death of previous prime minister, Issam Da’alis, in an Israeli airstrike on March 18. Barhum died in a March 23, 2025, Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis. According to a Hamas statement, Barhum died during a strike on the Nasser Hospital, where he was receiving treatment.Nurit Yohanan, “Hamas confirms senior official killed in hospital attack,” Times of Israel, March 23, 2025, https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/hamas-confirms-senior-official-killed-in-hospital-attack/. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz later confirmed that Barhum was the target of the strike. According to Hamas, Barhum was receiving treatment from wounds incurred during another Israeli strike.Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Maayan Lubell, “Israeli strike at Gaza hospital kills 5, Israel says target was Hamas militant,” Reuters, March 24, 2025, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-airstrike-kills-hamas-political-leader-southern-gaza-hamas-media-report-2025-03-22/.
Associated Groups
- Extremist entity
- Hamas
- Type(s) of Organization:
- Political, religious, social service provider, terrorist, violent
- Ideologies and Affiliations:
- Islamist, jihadist, Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated group, pan-Islamist, Qutbist, Sunni
- Position(s):
- Member, Gaza Strip Political Bureau and regional finance department head (deceased)
History
United States
The U.S. government designated Ismail Musa Ahmed Barhum as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist on December 13, 2023. “U.S. And UK Target Additional Hamas Finance Officials and Representatives,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 13, 2023, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1”I981.
Belgium
The Federale Overheidsdienst Financien (FOD) added Ismail Barhoum to its financial sanctions list on July 8, 2024.Federale Overheidsdienst Financien, “Belgian Financial Sanctions,” Open Sanctions, accessed August 19, 2024, https://data.opensanctions.org/datasets/20240819/be_fod_sanctions/targets.simple.csv?v=20240819121703-kba.
European Union
The Council of the European Union added Ismail Barhoum to its sanctions list on June 28, 2024.“Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad: Council adds six individuals and three entities to the sanctions list,” Council of the European Union, June 28, 2024, https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/06/28/hamas-and-palestinian-islamic-jihad-council-adds-six-individuals-and-three-entities-to-the-sanctions-list/.
France
The Direction Générale du Trésor added Ismail Barhoum to France's Registre National Des Gels sanctions list on June 28, 2024.“Ismail Barhoum,” Open Sanctions, accessed August 19, 2024, https://www.opensanctions.org/entities/NK-LnZujGu463AztKnste4dz8/; “Ismail Barhoum,” Direction générale du Trésor, accessed August 19, 2024, https://gels-avoirs.dgtresor.gouv.fr/Gels/RegistreDetail?idRegistre=7602.
Japan
The Ministry of Finance added Ismail Musa Ahmad Barhum to its Economic Sanctions and Targets List on March 5, 2024. “Ismail Barhoum,” Open Sanctions, accessed August 19, 2024, https://www.opensanctions.org/entities/NK-LnZujGu463AztKnste4dz8/; “国連安保理決議第１３７３号に基づく資産凍結等の措置の対象者 令和６年５月１０日現在,” Japan Ministry of Finance, accessed August 19, 2024, https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/files/100037860.pdf.
Switzerland
The Federal Council adds Ismail Barhoum to its sanctions list on April 10, 2024. “Verordnung vom 10. April 2024 über Massnahmen gegenüber Personen und Organisationen, welche die Hamas oder den Palästinensischen Islamischen Dschihad unterstützen,” State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, July 9, 2024, https://www.seco.admin.ch/dam/seco/de/dokumente/Aussenwirtschaft/Wirtschaftsbeziehungen/Exportkontrollen/Sanktionen/Verordnungen/Hamas/hamas_2024-07-09.pdf.download.pdf/hamas_2024-07-09.pdf.
United Kingdom
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation added Ismail Barhoum to its list of Financial Sanctions Targets on January 22, 2024.“CONSOLIDATED LIST OF FINANCIAL SANCTIONS TARGETS IN THE UK,” Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, January 25, 2024, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65b2442a160765001118f8ca/Counter-Terrorism__International_.pdf.