Italian police have arrested seven people suspected of funneling millions of euros to Hamas while posing as fundraisers for Palestinian civilians in Gaza, authorities announced.
Police also issued international arrest warrants for two additional suspects believed to be operating outside Italy.
According to local law enforcement, the investigation centers on three associations that publicly claimed to support Palestinian civilians but allegedly functioned as a front for financing Hamas.
The nine suspects are accused of transferring approximately seven million euros ($8 million) to “associations based in Gaza, the Palestinian territories, or Israel, owned, controlled, or linked to Hamas.”
BREAKING:
Meloni announces that Italian security services have arrested the Imam of Genova and head of the Associations of Palestinians in Italy, Mohammad Hannoun, along with 9 other for funnelling €7 million to Hamas through fake charity organizations pic.twitter.com/Xp6HlmsCQa
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) December 27, 2025
While the groups’ stated mission was to raise donations “for humanitarian purposes for the Palestinian people,” investigators say the majority of the funds were diverted elsewhere.
Police allege that more than 71 percent of the money collected was earmarked for the direct financing of Hamas or organizations affiliated with the Islamist terror group.
Authorities also said that some of the funds were transferred to “family members implicated in terrorist attacks,” further reinforcing suspicions that the charities were being used to support militant activity rather than civilian relief.
Among those arrested was Mohammad Hannoun, identified by Italian media as the president of the Palestinian Association in Italy.
Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi commented on the arrests in a post on X, saying the operation “lifted the veil on behavior and activities which, pretending to be initiatives in favor of the Palestinian population, concealed support for and participation in terrorist organizations.”
È un’operazione molto importante e significativa quella portata a termine stamattina dalla Polizia di Stato e dalla Guardia di Finanza con l’arresto di nove persone, tra cui il più noto Mohammad Hannoun. Pur con la doverosa presunzione di innocenza che va sempre riconosciuta in…
— Matteo Piantedosi (@Piantedosim) December 27, 2025
The investigation highlights growing concerns among European security services that charitable organizations operating under the banner of humanitarian aid are being exploited to fund Islamic extremism.
Authorities said the probe remains ongoing and additional arrests are possible as investigators continue to trace financial networks connected to the alleged scheme.
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