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Italian authorities carried out a large-scale operation coordinated by the Genoa Anti-Mafia Regional Directorate against an alleged Hamas-linked terrorist organization. The State Police and the FSA took precautionary measures against the nine suspects, detaining them all and ordering the seizure of assets worth more than 8 million euros.
The investigation, which began with reports of suspicious financial transactions, revealed a complex system of international monetary triangulation.
Investigators accuse the suspects of being members of the Hamas organization and actively funding it. The investigation said the funds collected were not primarily intended for humanitarian purposes, but were used to support the movement’s criminal activities, including attacks on civilians. An estimated €7 million was transferred to Gaza and the Palestinian Territories to strengthen the group’s armed strategy.
who is the suspect
At the heart of this plan are several organizations, including the Genoa-based Association for Solidarity and Charity of the Palestinian People (ABSPP). Mohammad Hanoun, described as the top figure in the Italian cell, is said to have controlled fundraising by diverting more than 71 percent of donations to organizations directly controlled by Hamas’s military wing. The suspects are said to have created new abbreviations, such as the group “Golden Dome,” to circumvent international banking regulations.
The investigation, which began after the October 7, 2023 attack, benefited from cooperation between Dutch and Israeli authorities, allowing monitoring of financial flows and interception of communications. Among those who directly received the funds were prominent figures such as Osama Alissawi, a former minister in Gaza’s Hamas government. This funding was also used to support the families of terrorists involved in suicide bombings, thereby ensuring the logistical and ideological continuity of the criminal structure.
The wiretapping of phones seized in Genoa and the analysis of servers have revealed documents describing the military training of young recruits and the glorification of “martyrs.” Some of the suspects were identified in photos wearing Al-Qassam Brigades combat uniforms. According to the prosecution, these elements confirm complete subjective compliance with the terrorist plot and constant coordination with a wider network operating across Europe.
“There are no mitigating circumstances.”
“The facts revealed through the investigations and investigations do not in any way diminish the significance of the crimes committed against the Palestinian people in the course of the military operations carried out by the Israeli government since October 7, 2023. A judgment on this crime is awaited by the International Criminal Court, based on the Rome Statute, which has been ratified by 125 member states, in which Italy also plays the role of impetus and support,” a statement from the Italian National Police said. The operation is read.
It added: “At the same time, such crimes cannot justify or constitute mitigating circumstances for terrorist acts carried out by Hamas and its associated terrorist organizations against civilians, including the terrorist act of October 7, 2023.”
“According to the doctrine of legality, in practice, acts of terrorism constitute acts of violence against civilians, even if committed in a situation of armed conflict, even if they are located in territory that must be considered illegally occupied under international law,” the statement concludes.