Italian authorities arrested nine people on Saturday in a sweeping counterterrorism operation that uncovered an alleged charity fraud network accused of secretly funneling more than $8 million to Hamas-run organizations in the Middle East, officials said.

The arrests targeted individuals linked to three charitable groups accused of masquerading as humanitarian organizations while financing Hamas through entities it owned or controlled in Gaza, other Palestinian territories, and Israel.

Police carried out raids across northern Italy, including the offices of the Beneficial Association of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which was searched in Milan. Investigators say the group, based in Genoa, served as the central financial conduit in the scheme.

Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi hailed the operation as a major breakthrough, saying authorities had exposed activities that hid behind humanitarian language while serving violent extremist goals.

“The veil has been torn on behaviors and activities that, behind the screen of initiatives in favor of Palestinian populations, concealed support and participation in organizations with true and proper terrorist aims of an Islamist matrix,” Piantedosi wrote on X.

Among those arrested was Genoa-based Imam Hannoun Mohammad Mahmoud Ahmad, president of the Palestinians in Italy association, who investigators believe headed the Italian cell responsible for directing funds to Hamas, according to La Stampa. Authorities allege the network used charitable donations to bankroll organizations tied directly to the terror group.

Investigators say payments to Hamas-linked entities began as early as October 2001, with a significant surge following the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led terror attack on Israel. That escalation, prosecutors say, reflects increased fundraising activity under the guise of civilian aid during wartime.

The investigation was conducted in coordination with authorities in the Netherlands and Israel, highlighting the transnational nature of terror financing networks operating inside Europe. Law enforcement sources said the case highlights how extremist groups exploit charitable frameworks and public sympathy to move funds across borders while evading scrutiny.

Hamas is formally designated as a terrorist organization by the European Union, making financial support to the group a serious criminal offense under EU and Italian law.

Italian police said the investigation remains ongoing and additional arrests or asset seizures are possible as authorities continue to map the full scope of the network.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)