Italian police on Saturday arrested nine suspects accused of raising millions of euros for Hamas under the pretense of humanitarian aid for Gaza’s civilian population. According to Italian reports, those detained include Mohammed Hannoun, 62, a senior Hamas operative abroad who also serves as president of the Palestinian Association in Italy. Italian authorities also issued international arrest warrants for two additional suspects in the case.
The nine suspects arrested in the large-scale police operation are accused of “successfully raising at least 7 million euros for entities in the Palestinian territories and Israel that belong to, are controlled by, or are directly linked to Hamas,” according to Italian media reports.
Investigators said three nongovernmental organizations, officially recognized as supporting Palestinian civilians across Italy, allegedly served as front organizations for Hamas operatives abroad, particularly in Italy, and were used to channel funds directly into terrorist activity.
According to a statement from Italian police, while the declared aim of the Italian charities was to collect donations “for humanitarian purposes for the Palestinian people,” more than 71 percent of the funds raised were transferred directly to Hamas or to bodies closely affiliated with the terrorist organization. Some of the money, authorities said, was sent “directly to family members involved in terrorist attacks.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni addressed the operation on X, saying she was satisfied with the complex investigation, “which led to the arrest of nine individuals suspected of financing Hamas through so-called charitable organizations, in an amount exceeding 7 million euros.” She confirmed that Hannoun had been arrested, describing him as “a senior figure in the Italian Hamas cell.”
Italy’s interior minister, Matteo Piantedosi, said the operation “removed the cover from the conduct and activities of those who pretended to act on behalf of the Palestinian population while concealing their support for and involvement in terrorist organizations.”
Secret ties between Hamas and political parties
Over the past two years, Italy has become one of Europe’s most active centers of pro-Palestinian protests, increasingly marked by anti-Israel and antisemitic elements. While supporters of left-wing parties have led much of the public demonstrations, several Palestinian expatriate organizations have worked behind the scenes in what they described as “humanitarian” cooperation with labor unions, student groups and political parties involved in protests against Israel and in support of the “Palestinian people.”
Hannoun has emerged as the most prominent figure linked to this activity. In recent months, the Rome-based newspaper Il Tempo published a series of investigations exposing what it described as deeply troubling ties between Hannoun and senior figures in the Five Star Movement and the left-wing Democratic Party. These parties have often spearheaded protests against Israel in Italy and have demanded active measures and sanctions by Meloni’s government against Israel.
Western intelligence agencies have monitored Hannoun for years. He has lived in Genoa for decades and is widely regarded as a key Hamas operative in Italy. He established numerous organizations under a humanitarian guise to raise funds and donations for the terrorist group. Even before October 7, Israeli officials urged Italy to act against him due to his central role in financing Hamas, particularly its military wing.
In December 2024, Hannoun was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department after being designated as a longtime Hamas operative and fundraiser. He founded and ran the Association of Charity and Solidarity with the Palestinian People, known as ABSPP, which presented itself as a humanitarian body but allegedly functioned as a front institution for financing Hamas’ military wing.
After October 7, additional measures were taken against Hannoun. Poste Italiane closed his accounts, and international financial service providers, including Visa, Mastercard and PayPal, blocked transfers linked to him. Hannoun has since sought to bypass these restrictions by establishing new organizations and front companies to continue fundraising for Hamas.
Despite his well-known profile, Il Tempo revealed that left-wing parties continued meeting not only with Hannoun but also with his close associate, Palestinian activist Suleiman Hijazi, who has lived in Italy for 20 years and is an outspoken Hamas supporter. The investigative series began in late July, when Hijazi appeared on stage at a conference in the Italian parliament in Rome alongside Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur for the Palestinian territories.
Albanese has questioned reports of Hamas sexual assaults on October 7 and was sanctioned by the United States as a result. Despite this, she remains a prominent figure within Italy’s radical left and pro-Palestinian circles, though her increasingly extreme statements have recently caused discomfort even among some left-wing figures.
Italian investigations also exposed extensive ties between senior members of the two major left-wing parties and Hannoun’s network, including Islamist figures linked to Milan’s Islamic Cultural Center. The reports described a growing web of political connections between Italian left-wing politicians and pro-Hamas elements. Immediately after the October 7 massacre, Hannoun played a central role in organizing mass protests against Israel across Italy, which intensified in the months that followed.
Hannoun has made no effort to conceal his support for Hamas. Shortly after October 7, he told Italian television that “Hamas’ attack was an act of self-defense.” He later praised Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Saleh al-Arouri, both killed during the war. In November 2024, he commended Muslim youths who “hunted” Israelis in Amsterdam.
Italian media have also published photographs showing Hannoun alongside senior Hamas figure Khaled Mashaal, as well as an image of him smiling and embracing Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was also killed during the war.
First published: 22:53, 12.27.25