Under the guise of humanitarian activity: Turkish resident arrested for transferring tens of millions to Hamas
Following a joint investigation by the FBI, UK law enforcement, and the Shin Bet, Muhammad Yusuf Hasna, a 45-year-old from Istanbul, was arrested in the UK and will be extradited to the US. The US Department of Justice revealed an indictment for running a mechanism to transfer funds, equipment, and food to Hamas under the guise of humanitarian activity. Hasna exploited his role as global director of an international charity organization and coordinated transfers with senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad. The organization's revenues nearly doubled after October 7, from about $41.8 million in 2023 to $81.56 million in 2024.
Following a joint investigation by the FBI, UK law enforcement, and the Shin Bet, Muhammad Yusuf Hasna, a 45-year-old from Istanbul, was arrested yesterday (Friday) in the UK and will be extradited to the United States at its request, after being wanted for a long time. Meanwhile, the US Department of Justice revealed the indictment against him for running a mechanism to transfer funds, equipment, and food to the terrorist organization Hamas under the guise of humanitarian activity. Hasna is charged with conspiracy to finance terrorism and financing terrorism, and if convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison for each offense. According to the federal indictment filed in a New York court, Hasna, also known by the aliases "Orhan Korkmaz" and "Abu al-Baraa," exploited his position as global director of an international charity organization registered in the UK to transfer funds, equipment, and supplies to Hamas, coordinating directly with senior officials in the Gaza Strip. According to the charges, Hasna operated for years with senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad, a member of the organization's political bureau, coordinating cash transfers, equipment purchases, bringing supply trucks into Gaza via Egypt, and distributing aid according to the directives of Hamas leadership. One notable detail is that after the October 7 attack, the charity organization's revenues nearly doubled, which is suspected to have served as a conduit for transferring funds to Hamas - from about $41.8 million in fiscal year 2023 to $81.56 million in fiscal year 2024. According to the indictment, the organization reported spending about $91 million in the fiscal year ending July 2025. The US Department of Justice emphasized that the fight against Hamas financing also concerns US national security, quoting Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg, who said that "money flowing through fictitious charities funds Hamas's terrorist activities, including the atrocities it committed on October 7."