The Freeze Targets Hamas, Not the People of Palestine
Crypto exchange Binance has frozen accounts linked to Hamas militants following requests from Israeli law enforcement. The freeze specifically targets Hamas and not the people of Palestine, according to Yi He, the exchange's co-founder. He stated that Hamas is recognized as a designated terrorist organization by the United Nations, and therefore, organizations like banks and trading platforms must cooperate with freeze requests.
Trading Platforms Cannot Refuse Freeze Requests
Yi He further explained that no trading platforms can refuse such requests, emphasizing that Palestine has an organized government while Hamas is a local militant group. She stated that the freeze is targeted towards Hamas and not Palestine as a whole.
Israeli Officials Freeze Crypto Accounts of Hamas Militants
Israeli officials froze the crypto accounts of Hamas militants with the assistance of Binance, as reported by local news outlet Calcalist. Law enforcement claims that terrorists used the accounts to collect war-related funding via social media.
Israeli Web3 Community Launches Charity Campaign
On the previous day, the Israeli Web3 community launched a charity campaign called "Crypto Aid Israel" to support Israeli civilians affected by the ongoing conflict. The initiative accepts Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), and other ERC-20 tokens like Tether (USDT). Since its release, the movement has received nearly $50,000 in crypto donations.
Ordinary Users, Including Palestinian Civilians, Not Affected by the Ban
Yi He assured that ordinary users, including Palestinian civilians, would not be affected by the freeze. She referenced previous incidents, such as the war between Russia and Ukraine, where the accounts of ordinary Russians were not frozen.
