EU adds Hamas' political leader Sinwar to sanctions list

European Union member states on Tuesday added Yahya Sinwar, the political leader of Hamas, to their sanctions list in response to the group's surprise attack on Israel last October.

He is now subject to the freezing of his funds and other financial assets in EU member states, while EU operators are prohibited to make funds and economic resources available to him. Born in the Khan Younis refugee camp, Sinwar, 61, was elected as Hamas' leader in Gaza in 2017 and was one of 1,027 Palestinians released from Israeli prisons in a swap for a single Israeli soldier held in Gaza in 2011.