Federal authorities announced an indictment Friday against a Florida man accused of providing nearly $50,000 to a Hamas financing network that prosecutors said solicited donations under the guise of helping civilians in Gaza, adding to an almost $1.7 million total terrorism fundraising effort, the Justice Department alleged.
asserted
Department → announce → effort
Raed Yousef, a 56-year-old man living outside of Tampa, along with two Louisiana men, were arrested on charges of helping finance Hamas, according to the DOJ announcement.
uncertain
Yousef → live → announcement
French authorities also arrested three associates accused of helping the same network collect and transfer money through purported charitable campaigns.
asserted
network → arrest → campaigns
Officials said the fundraising appeals promised donors the funds raised would support humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza, but the money actually went to Hamas.
asserted
money → say → Hamas
Yousef stands accused of providing almost $50,000 to Alzaq’s Hamas financing network, the DOJ alleged in its press release.
asserted
DOJ → accuse → release
The arrests come nearly three years after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel and coincide with a related move by the Treasury Department to impose sanctions against the alleged organizer, two fundraisers in France, and two affiliated organizations.
asserted
arrests → come → France
The Treasury Department said the operation collected more than $2 million for Hamas between 2020 and 2026, including $1.5 million after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
asserted
operation → say → Israel
“Terrorist organizations like Hamas rely on sophisticated financial facilitators and fraudulent schemes designed to exploit the public to sustain their operations,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
asserted
Bessent → rely → operations
Prosecutors accused Yousef, who was born in Kuwait and raised in Jordan, of providing nearly $50,000 to a fundraising network run by Saleem Alzaq, 45, of Gaza, whom they identified as a battalion deputy in Hamas’s military wing and who is still at large.
asserted
who → accuse → wing
Alzaq promoted social media campaigns that purported to provide humanitarian assistance to Gazans while directing the proceeds to Hamas, according to the DOJ.
uncertain
that → promote → DOJ
Prosecutors said he collected more than $1.7 million through those campaigns.
asserted
he → say → campaigns
The Treasury Department identified two people in France, Faouzi Barika and Amel Oualid, as key partners who ran purported charities and transferred donations to Alzaq.
asserted
who → identify → Alzaq
Officials said the pair sent him hundreds of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency.
asserted
pair → say → cryptocurrency
Barika jointly established Association Baraka with Alzaq, while Oualid established Ensemble C Mieux, according to the Treasury Department.
uncertain
Oualid → establish → Department
The department accused both organizations of raising money under the pretense of aiding civilians in Gaza while supplying funds to Hamas.
asserted
department → accuse → Hamas
French authorities arrested Barika, Oualid, and a third associate, Nordine Barika, as part of the coordinated operation, according to the DOJ.
uncertain
authorities → arrest → DOJ
Other messages obtained by authorities showed Yousef allegedly calling for violence against Jews.
uncertain
Yousef → obtain → Jews
He said beheadings should be broadcast on social media “so they can be frightened.
asserted
they → say → media
In April 2024, he allegedly said, “Jews are brutal. …
uncertain
Jews → say → April
May God take revenge against them.”
uncertain
God → take → them
Yousef faces 19 counts involving alleged support for terrorism, prohibited financial transactions, money laundering, and passport fraud.
asserted
Yousef → face → terrorism
Most counts carry maximum prison terms of 20 years each, according to the DOJ.
uncertain
counts → carry → DOJ
Two other defendants, Abdel Adhami, 35, and Omar Adhami, 33, both of Covington, Louisiana, were accused of contributing about $94,000 and $11,000, respectively, to Hamas between February 2021 and last month.
asserted
defendants → accuse → February
Prosecutors alleged that the men knew the organization engaged in terrorist activities and sought to conceal their contributions through wire transfers and intermediaries.
asserted
organization → allege → transfers
Both face charges involving material support for a foreign terrorist organization, wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy.
asserted
Both → face → organization
Alzaq was charged in New York with conspiracies involving material support for Hamas, sanctions violations, money laundering, and defrauding the United States.
asserted
Alzaq → charge → States
The DOJ announced the unsealing of his indictment but did not announce his arrest.
asserted
DOJ → announce → arrest
“Anyone who finances or assists terrorist organizations responsible for the deaths of American citizens should expect to be prosecuted by the Department of Justice,” Attorney General Todd Blanche said.
asserted
Blanche → finance → Justice
The Treasury Department sanctions block property belonging to the designated people and organizations within U.S. jurisdiction and generally prohibit U.S. citizens and businesses from conducting transactions with them.
asserted
sanctions → block → them
When Yousef was initially charged early this week, his lawyers argued that he believed his fundraising was for charity and that he had “provided a minuscule amount of money to someone he should not have,” according to the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle.
uncertain
he → charge → Chronicle
The Aporia
