Rome, Italy: Italian authorities have arrested nine individuals on suspicion of financing the Palestinian militant group Hamas through charitable organizations based in Italy, in a major counter-terrorism operation coordinated by anti-mafia and anti-terrorism units.
Prosecutors in the northern Italian city of Genoa said the suspects are accused of “belonging to and having financed” Hamas, which the European Union designates as a terrorist organization, by diverting funds raised under the guise of humanitarian aid to organisations linked to the group.
According to the investigation, the nine individuals are believed to have raised approximately €7 million (about $8.2 million) over the past two years through at least three Italy-based associations that claimed to support Palestinian civilians. Authorities allege that more than 70 % of the money was funnelled to Hamas-related entities in Gaza, the Palestinian territories or Israel.
During raids on offices and homes linked to the charities, Italian police also seized assets worth over €8 million, including more than €1 million in cash, as well as electronic material allegedly supportive of Hamas.
Among those arrested is Mohammad Hannoun, described by prosecutors as the president of the Palestinian Association in Italy and allegedly the “head of the Italian cell” of Hamas.
Investigation and International Cooperation
The probe was launched after suspicious financial transactions were flagged in cooperation with Dutch authorities and other European Union countries, coordinated through the EU judicial agency Eurojust. Officials said the investigation benefitted from coordinated intelligence sharing to uncover complex financial routes.
Government Response
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni praised law enforcement for conducting “a particularly complex and important operation” that revealed how funds allegedly intended for humanitarian aid were used to support a terrorist organisation.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said the arrests exposed activities that “pretended to help the Palestinian population” while allegedly concealing support for terrorism, and he emphasized the state’s determination to prevent terrorism financing under the cover of charitable work.
Public Reaction
The arrests have sparked controversy and protests by pro-Palestinian activists in Italy, with some groups denouncing the action as repression and arguing that Palestinians have a right to resist occupation, while others have backed the police action as necessary to curb terrorism financing.
