some cases, force civilians to gather on the roofs of 
their homes to act as human shields. 
(6) In 2010, Hamas forced children to work as 
laborers in the tunnel networks between Gaza and 
Egypt. 
(7) On June 9, 2017, the United Nations Relief 
and Works Agency announced it had discovered 
Hamas tunnels under two of its schools in the Gaza 
Strip, adding it was ‘‘unacceptable that students and 
staff are placed at risk in such a way.’’. 
(8) Hamas was designated as a foreign terrorist 
organization by the Secretary of State on October 8, 
1997. 
(9) In addition to Hamas, other foreign ter-
rorist organizations, such as the Islamic State, al- 
Qa’ida, and al-Shabaab, typically use civilians as 
human shields. 
(10) Congress has repeatedly condemned the 
use of human shields by Hamas and other foreign 
terrorist organizations. 
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It shall be the policy of the United States to— 
(1) officially and publicly condemn the use of 
human shields by Hamas as an act of terrorism and 
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a violation of human rights and international hu-
manitarian law; and 
(2) take effective action against those engaging 
in, supporting, facilitating, or enabling the use of 
human shields. 
SEC. 4. UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL. 
The President should direct the United States Per-
manent Representative to the United Nations to use the 
voice, vote, and influence of the United States at the 
United Nations Security Council to secure support for a 
resolution that would impose multilateral sanctions 
against Hamas for the use of human shields. 
SEC. 5. SANCTIONS ON FOREIGN PERSONS RESPONSIBLE 
FOR GROSS VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATION-
ALLY RECOGNIZED HUMAN RIGHTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall impose the 
sanctions described in subsection (b) with respect to the 
following: 
(1) Each foreign person that the President de-
termines, based on credible evidence— 
(A) is a member of Hamas or is acting on 
behalf of Hamas; and 
(B) is responsible for, complicit in, or re-
sponsible for ordering, controlling, or otherwise 
directing the use of human shields by Hamas. 
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(2) Each foreign person and each agency or in-
strumentality of a foreign state that the President 
determines has— 
(A) directly or indirectly, significantly fa-
cilitated any act described in paragraph (1)(B) 
with respect to the use of human shields by 
Hamas; 
(B) provided material support to a person 
listed under paragraph (1); or 
(C) attempted to so facilitate or so support 
such acts or persons. 
(b) SANCTIONS
DESCRIBED.—The sanctions de-
scribed in this subsection are the following: 
(1) BLOCKING OF PROPERTY.—The President 
shall exercise all of the powers granted to the Presi-
dent under the International Emergency Economic 
Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to the extent 
necessary to block and prohibit all transactions in 
property and interests in property of the foreign per-
son if such property and interests in property are in 
the United States, come within the United States, or 
are or come within the possession or control of a 
United States person. 
(2) ALIENS INELIGIBLE FOR VISAS, ADMISSION, 
OR PAROLE.— 
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(A) VISAS, ADMISSION, OR PAROLE.—An 
alien who the Secretary of State or the Sec-
retary of Homeland Security (or a designee of 
either such Secretaries) knows, or has reason to 
believe, meets any of the criteria described in 
subsection (a) is— 
(i) inadmissible to the United States; 
(ii) ineligible to receive a visa or other 
documentation to enter the United States; 
and 
(iii) otherwise ineligible to be admitted 
or paroled into the United States or to re-
ceive any other benefit under the Immigra-
tion and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et 
seq.). 
(B) 
CURRENT
VISAS
REVOKED.—The 
issuing consular officer, the Secretary of State, 
or the Secretary of Homeland Security (or a 
designee of either such Secretaries) shall revoke 
any visa or other entry documentation issued to 
an alien who meets any of the criteria described 
in subsection (a) regardless of when issued. A 
revocation under this subparagraph shall take 
effect immediately and shall automatically can-
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cel any other valid visa or entry documentation 
that is in the possession of such alien. 
(c) WAIVER.—The President may, on a case-by-case 
basis, waive the application of a sanction under this sec-
tion with respect to a person or an agency or instrumen-
tality of a foreign state for a 120-day period if the Presi-
dent certifies to the appropriate congressional committees, 
not less than 15 days before the start of such 120-day 
period, that such waiver is vital to the national security 
interest of the United States. 
(d) PENALTIES.—The penalties provided for in sub-
sections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the International 
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) shall 
apply to any person that violates, attempts to violate, con-
spires to violate, or causes a violation of any regulation 
promulgated to carry out this section to the same extent 
that such penalties apply to a person that knowingly com-
mits an unlawful act described in section 206(a) of such 
Act. 
(e) REGULATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The President may exercise 
all authorities provided to the President under sec-
tions 203 and 205 of the International Emergency 
Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702 and 1704) 
for purposes of carrying out this section. 
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