Police seize €7 million ‘intended for Hamas’

Ranieri Razzante, professor of cybercrime and homeland security at the University of Perugia, said funds were vital for feeding and paying Hamas fighters and their families, as well as bankrolling the group’s expansion beyond Gaza.

Italy Seizes €7 Million Intended for Hamas.

Italian police have arrested nine individuals and seized around €7 million raised through purportedly humanitarian charities—funds allegedly destined to support Hamas fighters, their families, and the organisation’s expansion beyond Gaza. [straitstimes.com], [timesofisrael.com], [nbcnews.com], [msn.com], [telegraph.co.uk], [euronews.com]

What We Know

• Arrests & assets seized: Nine people were arrested across Milan, Genoa, and other Italian cities as part of an investigation led by anti-mafia and anti-terror units. Authorities also froze assets worth approximately €8 million. [straitstimes.com], [euronews.com]
• Mechanism of fundraising: Three charities, claiming to aid Palestinian civilians, allegedly funnelled 71% of donations toward Hamas-linked entities—primarily for feeding fighters, paying families, and enabling territorial expansion. [straitstimes.com], [timesofisrael.com], [nbcnews.com], [euronews.com]
• Use of funds: Investigators say that money was also earmarked for families of individuals implicated in terrorist acts, as well as bolstering operational capacity beyond Gaza. [straitstimes.com], [euronews.com]
• Cross-border coordination: The probe involved collaboration with Dutch authorities and the EU agency Eurojust. Israeli intelligence provided key information that helped Italian authorities uncover these financing channels. [straitstimes.com], [euronews.com]
• Official response: Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the operation as "particularly complex and important,” exposing how some charitable motives masked terrorist funding. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi noted the group’s alleged tactics of "pretending to support Palestinians" while aiding terror networks. [straitstimes.com], [timesofisrael.com], [nbcnews.com], [euronews.com]

Expert Insight

Professor Ranieri Razzante, a cybercrime and homeland security expert from the University of Perugia, emphasised that such funds are vital for Hamas—not only to pay fighters and their families, but also to expand its operations beyond Gaza.

Broader Implications

This case underscores the vulnerability of international humanitarian networks and the ease with which funds can be redirected to extremist causes. It also highlights the crucial role of:

• Multinational cooperation—across Italy, the EU, and Israel—in detecting and disrupting illicit financial flows.
• Stronger due diligence by charities and financial intermediaries to guard against abuse.
• Enhanced oversight mechanisms to differentiate genuine humanitarian aid from front-financing for terrorist groups.

Source Links

• Italy arrests nine accused of raising millions for Hamas — The Straits Times [straitstimes.com]
• Nine arrested and seized €8 m in Hamas financing probe — Euronews [euronews.com]
• Italy arrests 7 for allegedly raising millions for Hamas — Times of Israel [timesofisrael.com]
• Italian authorities arrest 9 for allegedly funding Hamas — NBC News [nbcnews.com]
• Nine arrested in Italy for allegedly raising millions for Hamas — MSN/Reuters [msn.com]
• Italian charities ‘smuggle £6m to Hamas’ — The Telegraph [telegraph.co.uk]
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