Five people in France have been indicted for transferring funds to Hamas under the cover of providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
PNAT (the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office) confirmed that five individuals were brought before the court on 20 February and formally charged with financing Hamas under the guise of humanitarian work.
PNAT stated that the investigation into the two associations, Humani’Terre and Comité de Bienfaisance et de soutien de la Palestine (which later became Soutien Humani’Terre), began on 3 November 2023.
They were suspected of financing a terrorist enterprise, participating in a criminal terrorist conspiracy, and engaging in organised money laundering in connection with a terrorist enterprise.
The investigations were assigned to the anti-terrorism section of the criminal brigade of the Paris Police Prefecture, the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI), and the Central Office for Combating Major Financial Crime (OCRGDF).
While Soutien Humani’Terre and Humani’Terre purported to support Palestinian populations living in refugee camps in the West Bank, Lebanon and Gaza, members of their executive boards were suspected of channelling funds to Hamas.
An initial operation on 31 January 2024 involved searches at the associations’ headquarters and at the homes of current and former board members. This led to the seizure of computer equipment, including the association’s server, and numerous accounting documents listing French, European, Palestinian and Jordanian associations as recipients of funds.
Nearly €40 million was also seized. More than €5 million was found in cash at the association’s headquarters and its branches in Paris, Lille, Lyon and Marseille, while around €35 million was seized from the association’s bank accounts or discovered in the form of bank cheques.
After analysing and translating seized digital material, as well as evidence obtained through international cooperation with Italy, the United States and Israel, authorities conducted a second search on 16 February, during which five individuals were taken into police custody.
With the assistance of AGRASC (the agency responsible for managing and recovering seized and confiscated assets), two properties in Paris and La Courneuve were also seized.
PNAT requested the opening of a judicial investigation into charges of financing a terrorist enterprise, organised breach of trust, and laundering the proceeds of organised breach of trust in connection with a terrorist enterprise.
The investigations will now continue under the direction of three anti-terrorism investigating judges, and the five individuals remain under judicial supervision.
