Italy Demands 18.5M Euros in Damages in Major Hamas Financing Case
Italy demands 18.5 million euros in damages from Mohammed Hannoun and five suspects accused of raising millions for Hamas through front charities over 25 years.
The Italian government is seeking 18.5 million euros in damages from Mohammed Hannoun and five other suspects accused of raising approximately 18 million euros for Hamas over a 25-year period by disguising the funds as charitable donations, according to Italian daily La Repubblica.
The demand was filed as part of criminal proceedings underway in Genoa, where prosecutors are seeking to indict the six suspects on terrorism-financing charges. The Italian government requested to join the proceedings as a civil plaintiff, and its request was accepted during a hearing before Judge Carla Pastorini. According to the government, the suspects' alleged activities harmed the country's international reputation by failing to prevent the money transfers. The State of Israel was also designated as an injured party in the case, though its representatives did not attend the hearing.
Legal Proceedings and Arrests
The Genoa Public Prosecutor's Office requested the indictment of six out of seven suspects in the case: Mohammed Hannoun, Riad Alboustanji, Yaser Alasali, Raed Daoud, Adel Ibrahim Salama Abu Rawa, and Khalil Abu Diya.
The first four suspects, including Hannoun, have been held in high-security prisons in Terni, Rossano Calabro, Ferrara, and Sassari since their arrests in December. The preliminary hearing was adjourned to November 17, and the judge scheduled additional hearings for November 20 and 24 to decide whether to formally indict Hannoun and the five other suspects.
During the hearing, defense attorneys raised a series of objections, including issues regarding document translation and the fact that Hannoun and three other suspects, who have been detained since December 27, were unable to listen to all of the wiretaps collected against them. Another objection concerned the investigators' use of artificial intelligence in the investigation.
Hamas Network in Italy
At the center of the case is 63-year-old Mohammed Hannoun, a Jordanian-born architect and president of the Palestinian Association in Italy, who is suspected of heading the Italian cell of Hamas. According to Italian police, Hannoun and his associates established a Hamas network in Italy and spent years raising funds through charities established in Genoa and Milan starting in 1994, with approximately 71 percent of donations transferred directly to Hamas or affiliated entities.
The investigation was launched following the October 7 massacre and was conducted in cooperation with authorities in the Netherlands and Israel. According to Euro News, assets worth more than eight million euros were seized during the operation.
US Sanctions and Attempted Flight
In December 2024, the US Department of Treasury imposed sanctions on Hannoun after designating him as a Hamas operative and longtime fundraiser. Hannoun founded and managed ABSPP, the Association for Charity and Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which presented itself as a humanitarian body but allegedly served as a front for funneling funds to the military wing of Hamas.
Following October 7, additional measures were taken against him as Poste Italiane closed his account, and international financial services including Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal blocked transactions linked to him. Investigators found that Hannoun attempted to bypass the blocks by establishing additional organizations and front companies, while wiretaps revealed plans to relocate his operations to Turkey.
