Gaza donations financed Hamas: arrest of Abu al-Baraa, the movement’s operative in Britain

1st August 2026

3 minutes read

Gaza donations financed Hamas: arrest of Abu al-Baraa, the movement’s operative in Britain

Washington has announced a significant breakthrough in its campaign to cut off Hamas’s sources of funding, following the arrest in London of one of the movement’s most prominent alleged financiers.

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Justice unveiled a three-count indictment against Mohammed Youssef Hassaneh, a 45-year-old Turkish national known as “Orhan Korkmaz” and by the alias “Abu al-Baraa”.

The charges include conspiracy to provide material support to Hamas, which the United States designates as a foreign terrorist organization, as well as offenses related to terrorism financing.

According to the indictment published on the Department of Justice’s website, Hassaneh allegedly exploited his senior position within a purported international humanitarian organization to coordinate directly with top Hamas leaders regarding the transfer of money and supplies into the Gaza Strip and their distribution in accordance with the movement’s instructions.

The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed that Abu al-Baraa was arrested on Friday in the United Kingdom.

Fictitious charities

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg stated: « Funds flowing through sham charities, such as the one described in the indictment, fuel Hamas’s terrorist activities, including the atrocities committed by the group on October 7, 2023. »

He added: « Hamas cannot operate without financial flows moving through its illicit networks. The National Security Division will continue to work tirelessly to disrupt Hamas operations, including through prosecutions such as this one. »

Meanwhile, Jimmy McDonald, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said that Mohammed Hassaneh had « exploited his position as the global director of a purported humanitarian organization to raise money and provide funding and supplies to Hamas, a brutal terrorist organization responsible for the deaths of dozens of Americans and more than a thousand innocent victims, including the horrific atrocities committed on October 7 ».

He added: « Hassaneh worked closely with Hamas leaders to deliver food, money, and other supplies to terrorists under the cover of humanitarian aid. His arrest underscores our commitment to dismantling Hamas’s global illicit financing networks and the front organizations that support terrorist groups under the guise of charitable work. »

Jarod Brown, assistant director of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, stated that the defendant « used a purported humanitarian aid organization to raise funds and provide financial support and supplies to Hamas, an international terrorist organization devoid of mercy ».

Coordination with Hamas

According to the criminal complaint, the defendant coordinated closely with a senior Hamas leader and was fully aware that the resources were intended for the movement rather than for civilians in need.

The FBI reiterated its commitment to cutting off funding sources and all other forms of support for terrorist organizations in cooperation with the U.S. government and international partners.

Details of the charges

According to the complaint, Hassaneh served as the global director of a fictitious international charity registered in the United Kingdom.

The U.S. Department of Justice stated that, through this position, he provided funding and goods to Hamas through extensive coordination with figures at the highest levels of the movement’s leadership, particularly Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas’s political bureau and minister of social development in Gaza, an institution controlled by the movement.

The organization’s revenues doubled

The department noted that the organization informed British authorities that its total revenue nearly doubled after the October 7 attacks, rising from approximately 41.8 million dollars in fiscal year 2023 to around 81.56 million dollars in fiscal year 2024.

The organization also reported spending approximately 91 million dollars on charitable activities during the fiscal year ending on July 31, 2025.

Mechanism of support

The complaint alleges that, since at least 2023, Hassaneh and Ghazi Hamad coordinated the delivery of humanitarian assistance intended for Hamas into Gaza, including food and supplies, under the cover of the organization’s humanitarian operations.

According to prosecutors, Hassaneh, acting under Hamad’s instructions, arranged:

the transfer of cash payments to Ghazi Hamad;
the purchase of supplies intended for Gaza;
the transportation of supplies by truck from Egypt and other locations into the territory;
their delivery to warehouses belonging to the organization or to the Ministry of Social Development, in accordance with Hamad’s instructions;
their distribution to beneficiaries designated by Hamad.

The U.S. Department of Justice also accuses Hassaneh of concealing the true destination of the supplies by claiming that they were delivered to the Ministry of Social Development, whereas they were actually stored in warehouses under his control or later transferred to other entities.

He is further accused of taking photographs and videos of the supplies in a manner designed to conceal the locations of the warehouses and the identities of those controlling them.