Turkish Man Arrested in UK for Channeling Millions to Hamas Under Humanitarian Cover

Mohammed Youssef Hasana, a 45-year-old Istanbul resident, was arrested in the United Kingdom on Friday at the request of the United States after being wanted for a long time. The US Department of Justice has filed an indictment against him for managing a scheme that transferred money, equipment, and food to Hamas under the guise of humanitarian aid. The investigation was conducted in cooperation with the FBI, UK law enforcement, and the Israeli Shin Bet.

According to the federal indictment filed in a New York court, Hasana, also known by the aliases "Orhan Korkmaz" and "Abu al-Baraa," exploited his role as the global director of a UK-registered international charity to funnel funds and supplies directly coordinated with senior Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip. The indictment details Hamas's goal to establish an Islamic Palestinian state over all of Israel through violent jihad and highlights the group’s attacks against the US and its citizens, including the October 7, 2023 assault that killed over 1,000 Israelis and kidnapped 251 hostages.

The indictment reveals that Hasana worked closely with Hamas political bureau member Ghazi Hamad to transfer cash, procure equipment, and smuggle supply trucks into Gaza via Egypt. They disguised the true purpose of the aid through warehouses, documents, and records portraying it as humanitarian, while it was actually diverted to Hamas. Notably, the charity’s income nearly doubled after the October 7 attack, from approximately $41.8 million in fiscal year 2023 to about $81.56 million in 2024, with expenditures reaching $91 million by July 2025.

US officials emphasized that combating Hamas funding protects not only Israel but also US national security, noting Hamas’s decades-long record of killing and injuring Americans. John Eisenberg, US Deputy Assistant Attorney General for National Security, stated that funds flowing through fake charities finance Hamas’s terror activities, including the atrocities of October 7. Hasana faces charges of conspiracy to provide material support to Hamas, conspiracy to finance terrorism, and terrorism financing, with a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison if convicted.