Dutch court acquits alleged Hamas financier of terror financing, convicts of sanctions evasion

A Dutch court has acquitted alleged Hamas financier Amin Abu Rashid of providing funds to the Palestinian terrorist organization. The Rotterdam Court ruled Wednesday that there was insufficient evidence that Abu Rashid, 58, transferred approximately €8 million to Hamas between 2010 and 2023.

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Protesters take part in a demonstration organized by the Palestinian community in the Netherlands against hunger and the numerous deaths in Gaza, on Dom Square in Utrecht on August 3, 2025

Prosecutors argued that organizations Abu Rashid worked with were affiliated with Hamas, but the court was not convinced of the ties to the terrorist group. While funds were funneled into Gaza, the court stated it was not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Hamas specifically benefited over general Gazan recipients. The court also found the evidentiary threshold unmet for proving Abu Rashid knew the funding destination was under Hamas control, deeming expert testimony insufficient and potentially biased.

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Alleged Hamas financier Amin Abu Rashid was acquitted of providing funds to the Palestinian terrorist organization, according to a Wednesday ruling by the Rotterdam Court, but was convicted of evading sanctions and continued management of a prohibited organization.

However, Abu Rashid was convicted of continuing the operation of the al-Aqsa Foundation through the Israa Foundation. The al-Aqsa Foundation was sanctioned by the EU until 2014. The court found that Abu Rashid remained the de facto manager of the Israa Foundation, continuing the banned group's operations. He was also convicted of sanctions evasion for concealing his involvement with the Israa Foundation from Rabobank.

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There was not enough evidence that the 58-year-old Leidschendam transferred approximately €8 million to Hamas between 2010 and 2023, according to the court.

The ruling drew criticism from the Center for Information and Documentation on Israel (CIDI), which called the decision "surprising and shocking" and found it "incomprehensible" that the court accepted it could not be proven that Hamas benefited. Abu Rashid received a suspended sentence of six months with a one-year probationary period, a significantly lighter sentence than the three years sought by prosecutors. Protests related to the Gaza conflict also occurred in Utrecht.

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While prosecutors argued that the organizations that Abu Rashid worked with were affiliated with Hamas, the court wasn't convinced of the ties to the terrorist group.