Politics
Nine Arrested In Fraud Scheme That Allegedly Funneled Money To Hamas
Italian prosecutors on Saturday announced the arrest of nine individuals suspected of raising and diverting millions of euros to the Palestinian militant group Hamas through fraudulent charitable organizations.
The operation, led by anti-terrorism and anti-mafia units in Genoa, targeted a network accused of using humanitarian aid as a cover for financing activities linked to terrorism. Authorities seized assets exceeding €8 million as part of the probe, which highlighted suspicious financial flows dating back before the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
The suspects, primarily connected to three charities based in Italy, allegedly collected donations intended for Palestinian civilians in Gaza. However, investigations revealed that more than 71 percent of the funds — totaling roughly €7 million over the past two years — were redirected to entities affiliated with Hamas.
These transfers reportedly supported the group’s military operations, including its armed wing, and provided aid to families of individuals involved in suicide bombings or detained for terrorism-related activities. The scheme operated through a complex system headquartered in Genoa, with branches extending to Milan and involving international connections.
Among those arrested was Mohammad Hannoun, the president of the Palestinian Association in Italy, one of the implicated organizations. Prosecutors stated that the charities presented themselves as supporters of Palestinian civilians but served as fronts for channeling money to Hamas-linked associations in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
The arrests followed an extensive investigation initiated after financial irregularities were flagged, involving collaboration with Dutch authorities and coordination through Eurojust, the European Union’s agency for judicial cooperation.
Italian authorities have not released additional details on the suspects’ nationalities or specific ties to Hamas, but the investigation’s scope suggests a multinational dimension.
“The suspects collected donations intended for the civilian population of Gaza, however, it emerged that over 71 percent of these funds were diverted to Hamas’s coffers to finance its military wing and support the families of suicide bombers or those detained for terrorism,” Italian State Police said in a statement.
“The police added that the individuals are “specifically accused of carrying out financing operations believed to have contributed to terrorist activities.”
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni commended the effort, describing it as “a particularly complex and important operation” that exposed financing for Hamas via “so-called charity organizations.”
