Overview
- Nine suspects were detained on a Genoa judge’s order in a Digos–Guardia di Finanza operation requested by the local anti-mafia and antiterror office.
- The judicial order says at least 71% of outflows from groups tied to Hannoun, including ABSPP and La Cupola d’Oro, went to entities referable to Hamas, with transfers via bank wires, routes through Turkey, Jordan and Egypt, and cash couriers; about €7 million in assets were frozen and €200,000 in cash was seized.
- Intercepted conversations cited by prosecutors include, “We sacrifice with money and time, they with blood,” and case files describe a concrete flight risk as Hannoun allegedly prepared to depart for Istanbul while associates discussed wiping devices.
- The case file notes substantial material supplied by Israeli judicial and military authorities, and U.S. Treasury’s OFAC had designated Hannoun in 2024, alleging he sent more than $4 million to Hamas over a decade.
- Political repercussions include calls for parliamentary explanations over past engagements with Hannoun and small street protests by pro-Palestinian groups, as proceedings move forward and the defendants contest the allegations.