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🇮🇱 Israel /Disasters & Emergencies

Turkish national charged by US for funding Hamas using sham humanitarian charity

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency In the courts
  • A Turkish national, Mohammad Yousef Hasna, has been charged in the US for allegedly funding Hamas through a sham charity.
  • Hasna, arrested in the UK, is accused of coordinating with Hamas leaders, procuring supplies for Gaza, and concealing the aid's destination.
  • His charity's income reportedly nearly doubled after October 7, raising concerns about the flow of funds to terrorist activities.

Mohammad Yousef Hasna, a Turkish national, faces charges in the United States for allegedly providing material support to Hamas under the guise of humanitarian fundraising. Hasna, also known by aliases "Orhan Korkmaz" and "Abu al-Baraa," was arrested in the United Kingdom, where he reportedly served as the global director of a registered charity. He is awaiting extradition to the U.S. to face trial.

knew the resources were going to that group rather than to needy non-combatants.

— Jarod BrownFBI Counterterrorism Division Assistant Director, commenting on Hasna's alleged coordination with Hamas.

The U.S. Department of Justice alleges that Hasna financed and supplied Hamas, working closely with senior figures like Ghazi Hamad. Since at least 2023, Hasna has been accused of arranging cash deliveries, procuring supplies for transport into the Gaza Strip, and distributing them to warehouses controlled by both his charity and Hamas. To conceal the aid's true destination, Hasna and Hamas allegedly took photos and videos of the supplies that omitted identifying warehouse signage.

The accused allegedly used a purported humanitarian aid organization to raise funds and provide financing and supplies to Hamas, a ruthless international terrorist organization.

— Jarod BrownFBI Counterterrorism Division Assistant Director, commenting on Hasna's alleged activities.

FBI Counterterrorism Division Assistant Director Jarod Brown stated that Hasna "knew the resources were going to that group rather than to needy non-combatants." The complaint against Hasna suggests that his "Sham Charity" saw its gross income nearly double in 2024, rising to approximately $81.56 million from $41.8 million in 2023. This influx of funds, according to U.S. National Security Assistant Attorney-General John Eisenberg, "fuels Hamas's terrorist activities, including the atrocities the group committed on October 7."

The money that flows from sham charities like the one described in the complaint fuels Hamas’s terrorist activities, including the atrocities the group committed on October 7.

— John EisenbergUS National Security Assistant Attorney-General, on the impact of sham charities on Hamas.

Hasna faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. U.S. officials emphasize that Hamas relies on such illicit financial networks for its operations. The case highlights concerns about the misuse of humanitarian organizations for terrorist financing.

Hamas cannot function without injections of money through its illicit financial networks.

— John EisenbergUS National Security Assistant Attorney-General, on the importance of financial networks for Hamas.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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