Italian authorities on Saturday arrested nine individuals connected to three charitable organizations on suspicion of raising millions of euros for the Palestinian militant group Hamas, anti-terrorism prosecutors said.

The suspects are accused of transferring around 7 million euros ($8.2 million) to “associations based in Gaza, the Palestinian territories, or Israel, owned, controlled, or linked to Hamas,” according to the prosecutors’ statement. Among those detained was Mohammad Hannoun, president of the Palestinian Association in Italy, described as the “head of the Italian cell of the Hamas organization.”

Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by the European Union. Italian prosecutors said the investigation, conducted in coordination with other EU countries, revealed that funds were sent through “triangulation operations” via bank transfers or foreign organizations to associations in Gaza that Israel has declared illegal due to their links to Hamas.

Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi tweeted that the operation “exposed activities that, while presented as initiatives supporting the Palestinian population, concealed support for and involvement with terrorist organizations.”

There was no immediate response from the suspects or the charitable organizations. In January 2025, the European Council extended restrictive measures against 12 individuals and three entities accused of financing Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Source: AP