Nine charity workers are arrested in Italy for raising millions for Hamas

Mohammad Hannoun, the president of the Palestinian Association in Italy, (pictured, right) was photographed with Greta Thunberg (pictured, left) at a pro-Palestine rally in Rome

Nine people have been arrested in Italy after charities were accused of raising millions for Hamas.

Prosecutors said the group has been held on suspicion of financing the terror group through charities based in their country, in an operation coordinated by anti-mafia and anti-terrorism units.

The suspects are accused of 'belonging to and having financed' Hamas.

Those arrested diverted to Hamas-linked entities around 7 million euros (£6.1 million) raised over the last two years for ostensibly humanitarian purposes, prosecutors said. Police seized assets worth more than 8 million euros.

One of the people arrested was named by Italy's interior minister Matteo Piantedosi as Mohammad Hannoun, the president of the Palestinian Association in Italy.

He was photographed with Greta Thunberg at a pro-Palestine rally in Rome in November.

In another statement, police said ⁠officers had seized 1.08 million euros in cash found in the offices of a pro-Palestinian charity and in suspects' homes, as well as ‍material supportive of Hamas, Israel's foe in the two-year Gaza war.

The Italian investigation began after suspicious financial transactions were flagged through cooperation with Dutch authorities and other EU countries, coordinated through the EU judicial agency Eurojust.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni thanked the authorities for 'a particularly complex and important operation' uncovering financing for Hamas through 'so-called charity ‍organisations.'

Israeli intelligence and anti-terrorism agencies contributed, providing 'information and evidence to Italian law enforcement authorities through established and agreed channels,' the Israeli defence ministry said on Sunday.

Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel would pursue every terrorist and anyone supporting them, even abroad, and those who thought they could fund terrorism and stay hidden were mistaken.

Meloni's right-wing government is ⁠one of Israel's strongest allies in Europe.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15417983/Nine-charity-workers-arrested-Italy-raising-millions-Hamas.html