Dutch Man Charged With Financing Hamas

A 58-year-old man from Leidschendam in the Netherlands is facing a prison sentence of up to three years for allegedly financing Hamas through a network of charitable organizations, Dutch prosecutors said.

According to the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service, the suspect transferred approximately €8 million between 2010 and 2023 in cooperation with the Israa Charitable Foundation Netherlands, a Rotterdam-based organization linked to Hamas. Prosecutors are seeking a four-year sentence, with one year suspended.

Authorities said the man played “a leading and decisive role” in collecting and directing funds, and knowingly bypassed sanctions by using intermediary structures to channel money to the terrorist group.

The prosecution also accused him of misleading financial institutions by concealing his ties to the foundation.

The Israa foundation was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department in June over alleged connections to Hamas. It is reportedly part of the Union of Good network, which US authorities say is tied to Hamas’s Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades and raises funds under the guise of charitable work.

Prosecutors further alleged that the suspect continued the activities of the Al Aqsa Foundation, another organization previously sanctioned for financing Hamas, effectively shifting operations to Israa after Al Aqsa was targeted by international authorities.

Several European countries, including Germany, Denmark, Britain, Luxembourg, and Switzerland, have taken action in recent years against networks accused of channeling funds to Hamas through nonprofit fronts.

The case is part of broader efforts by European authorities to crack down on terror financing conducted through charitable organizations.