Yellen Meets Families of Americans Held by Hamas

Today, Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen met with the families of Americans taken hostage by Hamas as part of the October 7th terrorist attacks. The Secretary conveyed her unwavering support for the families and expressed her condolences to those whose loved ones have been killed. The Secretary also reiterated the President’s call for a hostage release deal. She reaffirmed Treasury’s commitment to continue targeting Hamas’s key sources of revenue, using all available tools and authorities, as well as encouraging similar action from our allies and partners. She also stressed Treasury’s longstanding focus on countering the financing of terrorism and preventing terrorist organizations–including Hamas and other Iran-backed terrorist proxy groups–from exploiting the U.S. and international financial systems. She provided an overview of Treasury’s efforts to increase pressure on Hamas and disrupt its international financial networks, including closely monitoring the group’s efforts to seek other sources of revenue.