Federal prosecutors have unsealed indictments charging four men in connection with an international fundraising network that allegedly funneled more than $1.7 million to Hamas. The Department of Justice revealed that the scheme, which operated under the guise of collecting humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza, drew hundreds of thousands of dollars from donors based in the United States. Three suspects have been arrested in Louisiana and Florida, while a fourth suspect, an alleged longtime Hamas member residing in Gaza, remains at large.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced the arrests of three alleged co-conspirators on U.S. soil. Brothers Abdel Adhami, 35, and Omar Adhami, 33, both residents of Covington, Louisiana, were taken into custody. They face charges of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Additionally, federal authorities arrested 56-year-old Raed Yousef of Lutz, Florida. Yousef's charges include conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, attempting to do so, providing funds, goods, and services to a specially designated terrorist, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering, and passport fraud.
The alleged operator of the fundraising campaign is Saleem Alzaq, a 45-year-old Gaza resident who prosecutors assert has been a Hamas member since at least 2017. Alzaq, who has not been arrested and is believed to have been in Gaza during the commission of the alleged crimes, is charged with one count each of conspiring to provide material support to Hamas, conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, conspiring to commit money laundering, and conspiring to defraud the United States. If convicted, the first three charges against him each carry a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, while the conspiracy to defraud charge carries up to five years.
According to the indictment unsealed on Thursday, Alzaq and his co-conspirators solicited donations between January 2020 and December 2025 by claiming the money would buy food and winter necessities for Palestinians in Gaza. The campaigns successfully generated over $1.7 million, including a minimum of $626,000 from donors within the United States. Prosecutors allege the network spanned multiple countries, with co-conspirators in France assisting in the collection and transfer of funds. Among the U.S. contributions, the Adhami brothers in Louisiana allegedly provided approximately $105,000, while Yousef in Florida allegedly sent nearly $50,000 to the network.
Prosecutors allege that Alzaq actively promoted Hamas propaganda on social media, including posts that celebrated the October 7, 2023, attack against Israel. On the very day of the attack, Alzaq allegedly launched a new fundraising campaign, claiming to raise funds specifically for Gazans who were injured during the assault. This particular campaign remained active until approximately October 12, 2023.
The indictment details an undercover operation that investigators say proves Alzaq knew the donated funds were going directly to Hamas. In November 2025, an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a New York-based Hamas supporter contacted Alzaq via Snapchat. Alzaq allegedly informed the officer that he had methods for receiving funds in New York and offered to connect the officer with local contacts. By December 2025, Alzaq allegedly explained to the undercover agent that he regularly worked with individuals who wanted to send money to "the Green," a term prosecutors say is a known reference to Hamas. Alzaq noted that while he successfully transferred funds to "the Green," providing concrete proof of the transactions was difficult because Hamas members avoided using identification.
To bypass detection, Alzaq allegedly suggested using coded language for monthly transactions. He instructed the undercover officer to use terms such as "bread," "bakeries," "buy bread," and "give it to the bakeries." The indictment notes that Alzaq had previously used similar terminology. In January 2024, a U.S.-based supporter asked Alzaq on Snapchat about money sent to "the bread people," to which Alzaq replied that he had "learned the way" and could deliver "whatever you want." Additionally, in October 2024, Alzaq instructed his social media followers not to write phrases like "Free Palestine" or "long live Hamas" on PayPal transactions to prevent their accounts from being terminated.
U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasized the Justice Department's commitment to halting terror financing. "Anyone who finances or assists terrorist organizations responsible for the deaths of American citizens should expect to be prosecuted by the Department of Justice," Blanche said, adding that the department "will continue pursuing terrorists who kill Americans, dismantling terrorist finance networks, and delivering justice for the families of victims."
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch commended the work of intelligence analysts, stating, "Our intelligence analysts uncovered this international finance network and built the case that exposed more than $2 million being funneled to Hamas." Tisch added that Alzaq, whom she described as "a leader in Hamas' military arm responsible for planning and carrying out terrorist attacks," and the other defendants "allegedly solicited donations under the guise of humanitarian aid and then directed that money to Hamas."
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