Italy Arrests 7 in 7M Euro Hamas Funding Probe

Italian authorities arrested seven individuals and issued international arrest warrants for two others on Saturday, accusing them of funneling approximately 7 million euros raised through charitable organizations to entities linked to the Palestinian group Hamas. The operation, coordinated by antimafia and antiterrorism units in Genoa, targeted suspects alleged to have belonged to and financed Hamas, which the European Union designates as a terrorist organization.

Prosecutors stated that the nine suspects diverted funds collected over the past two years under the guise of humanitarian aid for Palestinians. More than 71 percent of the donations, totaling around 7 million euros, went to associations in Gaza, the Palestinian territories, or Israel that are owned, controlled, or affiliated with Hamas. Some of the money supported family members involved in terrorist attacks, according to the investigation. Police seized assets valued at more than 8 million euros during the raids.

Among those arrested was Mohammad Hannoun, president of the Palestinian Association in Italy, whom prosecutors described as the leader of the Italian branch of the Hamas network. The probe implicated three...