Europe-based fundraising campaigns raised more than $9.5 million for entities in Gaza with ties to Hamas and other terrorist organizations since the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, a report by Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism reveals.
Approximately 45 organizations operating in the United Kingdom, France, Spain and the Netherlands raised funds through crowdfunding platforms, organizational websites, bank transfers, payment applications and cryptocurrencies under the guise of humanitarian aid and charitable donations, according to the study published on Thursday.
Twenty-three of the campaigns examined showed direct or indirect connections to Hamas or other terrorist groups, the ministry said.
“This is a security risk that cannot be ignored. European countries, wake up!” Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli said. “Funds, even under a humanitarian guise, are liable to reach elements associated with Hamas. Crowdfunding platforms are expected to act firmly and decisively against this phenomenon, and European nations must prevent the flow of funds without sufficient oversight.”
The report identified seven campaigns that allegedly raised more than $1 million each and four additional campaigns that raised between $500,000 and $1 million.
Researchers said they found no meaningful distinction between the fundraising platforms used by organizations described as legitimate humanitarian groups and those connected to Hamas or other terrorist organizations.
“The findings indicate a severe gap in transparency,” the report stated. “While the public can see the donation campaign and the payment methods, in most cases, it cannot know how the money is transferred onward, who the intermediary mechanisms are, and what its final destination is within the Gaza Strip.”
According to the ministry, the United Kingdom accounted for the largest volume of identified fundraising activity, with more than £11 million (approximately $14 million) raised through crowdfunding platforms alone. French campaigns reportedly raised about €1.4 million, while campaigns in Spain and the Netherlands generated hundreds of thousands of euros each.
The study highlighted platforms such as JustGiving, HelloAsso, Big Give, GoFundMe and GlobalGiving, while noting that additional funds were raised through direct donations via organizational websites, bank transfers, PayPal and cryptocurrency transactions.
The report distinguished between direct and indirect ties to terrorist organizations. Direct ties included organizations previously designated as terrorist entities, employees or activists identified with Hamas, or activities allegedly supporting terrorism. Indirect ties included cooperation with Hamas-linked organizations, financial transfers to affiliated entities or public statements that researchers said justified or supported terrorism.
Among the examples cited was the U.K.-based Alkhair Foundation. The report alleged that Adham Abu Salmiya, identified as the organization’s director of marketing and Arab relations in Turkey, had close ties to Hamas figures. It also cited the case of Hussam Mansour, described by the Israel Defense Forces as a Hamas internal-security official who also worked for the charity.
The ministry also referenced the case of Fadi Jihad Muhammad al-Wadiya, a physiotherapist employed by Doctors Without Borders in Gaza who was later identified by Palestinian Islamic Jihad as a member of the terrorist group’s “military” manufacturing unit following his death in an Israeli strike.
“This phenomenon is much broader than it appears,” said Avi Cohen-Scali, director-general of the ministry. “Dozens of campaigns, dozens of entities and over $9.5 million identified just in the visible portion. When funds flow through public channels with only partial transparency and touch entities with ties to Hamas and terrorist organizations, it constitutes a security, political and economic challenge that requires a systemic response.”
The ministry said Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are prohibited from openly fundraising in the European Union and the United Kingdom because they are designated terrorist organizations. As a result, researchers noted that financial support may be routed through humanitarian and charitable frameworks.
The study focused exclusively on publicly visible fundraising efforts and did not examine private donations or clandestine funding channels. Researchers estimated that the true amount of money raised could be substantially higher.
