Under the guise of an "aid organization": Turkish citizen suspected of funneling funds and equipment to Hamas

A Turkish citizen was arrested on Friday in the UK at the request of US law enforcement authorities on suspicion of managing an extensive network for transferring funds and supplies to the Hamas terrorist organization under the guise of a "global humanitarian organization."

The suspect, 45-year-old Muhammad Yusuf Hasna from Istanbul, was taken into custody in the UK and will remain behind bars until the completion of his extradition proceedings to New York, where he will stand trial. At this stage, it is not known who will represent him in the US legal proceedings.

US Attorney in Manhattan Jamie McDonald detailed Hasna's modus operandi, explaining that the organization he established was effectively a shell company. According to the prosecution, under the pretext of providing "humanitarian aid," Hasna acted systematically to transfer equipment, food, and funding directly to the terrorist organization, which is designated in the US as a foreign terrorist organization.

Direct link to leadership

The US indictment reveals a disturbing detail regarding Hasna's deep ties with the Hamas leadership. According to the US government, Hasna worked in close cooperation with the Hamas leadership, specifically with Ghazi Hamad — a member of the organization's political bureau and one of its most senior and well-known spokesmen. The close connection between the two existed at least since 2023.

The indictment against Hasna in New York includes a series of serious federal offenses:

1. Conspiracy to provide material support to Hamas

2. Conspiracy to finance terrorism

3. Actual financing of terrorism

Each of these three counts carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. If convicted, Hasna could spend the rest of his life in an American prison.