Nine people arrested and three associations intervened in Italy for financing Hamas to the tune of more than seven million euros

Nine people were arrested at Genoain the northwest of Italy, and interventions have been carried out three associations charities, accused of having financed with more than 7 million euros to the Islamist group Hamas after the attacks of October 7, the Financial Guard reported this Saturday.

The arrest warrant was issued by the investigating judge of the Court of Genoa at the request of the Anti-Mafia and Anti-Terrorism Department, after analysis of various suspicious financial transactions. The investigation was carried out with the collaboration of the authorities of the Netherlands and other member states of the European Union.

The suspects are accused, in the current preliminary investigation phase, of having integrated and financedat different levels, the activities of Hamas through three entities based in Italy: the Charitable Association of Solidarity with the Palestinian People – founded in Genoa in 1994 -, the Organization of Volunteers for Palestine, in 2003, and La Cupola d’Oro, inaugurated the same year in Milan.

The charges filed include “conspiracy to commit terrorismincluding international terrorism, and subversion of the democratic order.” Authorities estimate that the three associations illegally channeled around seven million euros through a network of bank transfers and triangulations with organizations based abroad, whose final destination was associations in Gaza, the Palestinian Territories and Israel.

Researchers say funding has begun as of October 18, 2001but it was after the attacks of October 7, 2023 that large sums of money were allocated, equivalent to 7,288,248.15 euros, “diverting these funds from their declared objectives, which were the real needs of the civilian population of Gaza”.

Among the detained figure Mohammad Hannoun, head of the international branch of Hamas and head of the Italian cellas well as the legal representative or de facto administrator of these associations, which collected money supposedly intended for humanitarian purposes, even though in reality more than 70 percent of the funds were diverted to directly finance Hamas or its affiliated entities.

They were also detained Rawwa Adel Ibrahim Salameh, representative of northeastern Italy; Abu Deiah Khalil, founder and legal representative of the charity La Cupola d’Oro, and Abdu Saleh Mohammed Ismail, resident in Turkey, accused of receiving and transferring at least 462,700 euros to Hamas, including cash, among others.

According to local media, part of the resources were allocated to families of suicide bombers and prisoners for crimes related to terrorism.

“Despite the necessary presumption of innocence which must always be recognized at this stage, behaviors and activities have been revealed which, behind the facade of initiatives in favor of the Palestinian population, were hidden support and participation in organizations with real terrorist objectives of an Islamist nature. This is a danger to which our government pays the greatest attention,” declared Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi.