Hebrew media outlets revealed on Saturday morning that Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant has signed administrative memos allowing for the seizure of funds secretly paid by Hamas to its operatives in Europe.
According to the Hebrew newspaper “Israel Hayom,” these funds amounted to over a million dollars, and this move is part of an ongoing economic campaign by the Israeli army, in collaboration with the Shin Bet security agency and the Israeli National Bureau for Counter-Terror Financing (NBCTF), to disrupt the organizational infrastructure and financial resources of Hamas within the European Union.
According to the seizure memos mentioned by the Hebrew newspaper, there is information indicating that these senior officials worked within a foreign branch of Hamas, led by Khaled Meshaal.
It emphasized that Hamas members operated under a civilian cover to collect funds and gain external support.
Israeli reports revealed that hundreds of thousands of dollars were transferred to these officials to promote Hamas activities within the European Union.
It further stated that the Hamas activists involved in the seizure operations include Majed Khalil Musa al-Zeer, a well-known German citizen who has long been associated with the movement and has served in a series of entities designated as extremist organizations in Israel.
The properties of Amin Ghazi Abu Rashid, a resident of the Netherlands who was arrested in 2010 for his participation in the Mavi Marmara flotilla, were also confiscated. He is the head of the “Asara Foundation,” which has been declared an extremist organization in Israel, and he also held a position in the “Palestinian Return Center” (PRC).
The third individual is Adel Saad Al-Din Hassan Derman, a Hamas activist residing in Austria, whose name was also mentioned in the announcement by the European branch of Hamas in 2013. Derman is the head of the “Austrian Palestinian Foundation” (PHV), which is considered an extremist organization in Israel due to its affiliation with Hamas in fundraising efforts in Europe.
The Hebrew newspaper clarified that the two others whose assets were seized are Mohammed Mahmoud Ahmed Awad from Italy and Amer Ali Amer Awad from Germany. Both individuals were engaged in similar activities supporting Hamas in the countries they reside in.