France immobilized for six months the assets of Yahya Sinouar, a Hamas leader dubbed the “mastermind” of the October 7 attack on Israel, according to France News Agency (AFP), citing a decree published Tuesday in the Official Bulletin.
“Funds and financial assets owned, held, or managed by Yahya Sinouar . . . are subject to an asset freeze measure,” according to the November 30 decision, which takes effect today, December 5.
According to the information source, the Ministry of Finance–or Bercy as it is commonly referred to in France–was not immediately able to disclose the precise value of these assets.
This move was justified as a reaction to Sinaour being the “mastermind” behind the October 7 event. On that day, hundreds of troops descended on neighborhoods and military sites in Israel, which suffered its bloodiest onslaught since its founding in 1948, leading to the death of 1,200 people.
In accordance with official Palestinian Health Ministry numbers, Israel’s retaliation and ensuing offensive since October 7 have taken the lives of about 16,000 people–mostly civilians comprised of women and children–and have resulted in over 42,000 wounded.
In November, France’s Secretary of State for Europe, Laurence Boone, advocated for the adoption of European sanctions–primarily financial–against high-ranking Hamas officials, which could come in the form of frozen assets.
The UK, for its part, has already imposed sanctions – asset freezes, arms restrictions and travel bans – on six different individuals whom it considers to be imminent security threats: four Hamas officials and two people accused of funding the movement, including Mohammed Deif and Yahya Sinouar.