<p>Federal authorities announced an indictment on October 2, 2026, against Raed Yousef, a 56-year-old man from Florida, accused of providing nearly $50,000 to a Hamas financing network that solicited donations under the guise of aiding civilians in Gaza. This effort is part of a larger scheme that allegedly raised almost $1.7 million for terrorism, according to the Justice Department.</p>
<p>Yousef, along with two men from Louisiana, was arrested on charges related to financing Hamas. The Department of Justice (DOJ) also reported that French authorities arrested three associates linked to the same network, which was accused of collecting and transferring funds through purported charitable campaigns.</p>
<p>According to officials, the fundraising efforts claimed to support humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza, but the funds were directed to Hamas. Yousef is alleged to have contributed nearly $50,000 to the financing network led by Saleem Alzaq, a 45-year-old from Gaza, who is identified as a deputy in Hamas’s military wing and remains at large.</p>
<p>The arrests follow the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel and align with actions taken by the Treasury Department to impose sanctions on the alleged organizer and two fundraisers in France, as well as two affiliated organizations. The Treasury Department stated that the operation collected over $2 million for Hamas from 2020 to 2026, with $1.5 million raised after the October 2023 attack.</p>
<p>Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remarked that terrorist organizations like Hamas depend on financial facilitators and fraudulent schemes to sustain their operations.</p>
<p>Prosecutors allege that Yousef, who was born in Kuwait and raised in Jordan, provided funds to Alzaq’s network, which promoted social media campaigns claiming to offer humanitarian assistance to Gazans while actually directing proceeds to Hamas. The DOJ indicated that Alzaq raised more than $1.7 million through these campaigns.</p>
<p>The Treasury Department identified two individuals in France, Faouzi Barika and Amel Oualid, as key partners in this operation, stating they ran purported charities that transferred donations to Alzaq, including hundreds of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency.</p>
<p>Barika co-founded Association Baraka with Alzaq, while Oualid established Ensemble C Mieux. Both organizations are accused of raising money under the pretense of aiding civilians in Gaza while funding Hamas.</p>
<p>French authorities arrested Barika, Oualid, and a third associate, Nordine Barika, as part of the coordinated operation. Messages obtained by authorities indicated Yousef allegedly called for violence against Jews, suggesting that beheadings should be broadcast on social media.</p>
<p>Yousef faces 19 counts related to alleged support for terrorism, prohibited financial transactions, money laundering, and passport fraud, with most counts carrying maximum prison terms of 20 years each. Two other defendants, Abdel Adhami and Omar Adhami, both from Covington, Louisiana, are accused of contributing approximately $94,000 and $11,000 to Hamas, respectively, between February 2021 and September 2026.</p>
<p>Prosecutors allege that the Adhamis were aware of the organization’s terrorist activities and attempted to conceal their contributions through wire transfers and intermediaries. Both face charges of material support for a foreign terrorist organization, wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy.</p>
<p>Alzaq was charged in New York with conspiracies involving material support for Hamas, sanctions violations, money laundering, and defrauding the United States. His indictment was unsealed, but his arrest has not been announced.</p>
<p>Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that anyone who finances or assists terrorist organizations responsible for the deaths of American citizens should expect prosecution by the Department of Justice.</p>
<p>The Treasury Department's sanctions block property belonging to the designated individuals and organizations within U.S. jurisdiction and generally prohibit U.S. citizens and businesses from conducting transactions with them.</p>
<p>When Yousef was initially charged earlier in the week, his lawyers argued that he believed his fundraising efforts were for charity and that he had provided a minimal amount of money to someone he should not have.</p>