Italy seeks 18.5 million euros from Mohammad Hannoun over Hamas funding

The Italian government is seeking 18.5 million euros in compensation from Mohammad Hannoun and five other suspects, who are alleged to have collected donations for Hamas while operating in Italy from 2001 to 2025. N12, the Israeli broadcaster, reported that the six are accused of gathering 18 million euros for the group, and that the government lodged its demand as part of the criminal case already under way against them.

According to N12 correspondent Assaf Rosenzweig, Italian prosecutors are asking for the six to be tried on terrorism charges. A second Israeli outlet, News.co.il, reported the same claim and described the suspects as running a fundraising mechanism for roughly two decades that brought in about 18 million euros for Hamas. News.co.il added that, according to the government's filing, this activity caused serious damage to Italy's international image because the state had failed to stop the flow of money to the group.

Who is being pursued

Both reports name Mohammad Hannoun as the principal figure in the case, alongside five other suspects whose names were not given. Neither report describes Hannoun's role, nationality or any organisation he may be linked to, and neither identifies the other five individuals. The reports agree on the core figures: a compensation demand of 18.5 million euros, an alleged fundraising total of 18 million euros (described by News.co.il as approximately that amount), and a period of activity stretching from 2001 to 2025.

The gap between the two sums is small. The amount the government is claiming is slightly higher than the total the suspects are alleged to have raised, but neither outlet explains how the 18.5 million euro figure was calculated or what the additional amount represents.

How a state can claim damages in a criminal case

The demand was not filed as a separate lawsuit. Both outlets say it was submitted within the criminal proceedings against the six. In the Italian system, a party that says it was harmed by an alleged crime can generally join the criminal case and ask the court for compensation, so that liability and damages are considered together. In this instance the party making the claim is the Italian state itself.

The reasoning reported by News.co.il is notable: the harm Italy says it suffered is described as damage to its standing abroad, tied to the state's failure to prevent money reaching Hamas. N12's report does not set out the government's grounds for the claim, so this explanation rests on the News.co.il account alone.

Where the case stands

The two reports describe the stage of the proceedings slightly differently. N12 says prosecutors are seeking to bring the six to trial on terrorism offences, which suggests a decision on whether the case goes to trial has not yet been made. News.co.il refers to the six as being accused of terrorism offences and cites what it calls the statement of claim. The reports do not give a date for any hearing or a timetable for a ruling, and neither says whether the suspects are in custody.

Why the case draws attention in Israel

Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement, has long relied on networks of donations from abroad, and Israeli officials and media follow closely any European legal action aimed at those channels. A case alleging fundraising for Hamas on Italian soil over a span of roughly two decades, together with a damages demand from the Italian government, was reported quickly by Israeli news outlets. Both reports here appeared on the Telegram channels of Israeli news organisations within hours of each other.

The government's decision to frame its claim around reputational harm is a less common approach than prosecution alone. It places a monetary figure on the consequences that, in the state's own account, the alleged fundraising had for the country, in addition to any criminal penalties prosecutors may seek.

What the reports do not say

• No response from Mohammad Hannoun, the other five suspects or their lawyers has been reported.
• The names of the five other suspects are not given.
• Neither outlet explains how the 18.5 million euro figure was reached or how the 18 million euros was allegedly transferred to Hamas.
• The reports do not say when a court will rule on the request to try the six, or on the compensation claim.
• The description of the damage to Italy's international image comes from News.co.il only, and no official Italian statement is quoted in either report.