A recent study by the Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Countering Antisemitism showed that an extensive network of fundraising campaigns in Europe has raised over US$9.5 million for Gaza since October 7, 2023.
These campaigns, involving approximately 45 organizations, are publicly presented as humanitarian and charitable initiatives.
According to the research, each of the identified organizations raised at least US$100,000.
Seven online campaigns surpassed the US$1 million mark each, and another four collected between US$500,000 and US$1 million.
In total, 23 of these initiatives were linked to Hamas and other terrorist organizations.
The survey analyzed activity in several European countries.
In the United Kingdom, crowdfunding platforms alone raised over £11 million.
In France, the amount raised reached approximately “1.4 million, while in Spain and the Netherlands, hundreds of thousands of euros were collected.
Researchers identified an integrated fundraising infrastructure that utilizes crowdfunding platforms, organizational websites, bank transfers, payment applications, and even cryptocurrencies.
According to the report, there is little difference between the tools used by entities considered legitimate and those linked to Hamas, revealing serious flaws in control and oversight mechanisms.
Another problem highlighted is the lack of transparency.
Although donation campaigns and payment methods are visible to the public, there is almost no information about where the money actually goes, what the intermediary entities are, or who the final recipients are in Gaza.
Minister Amichai Chikli commented on the case: “This is a security risk that cannot be ignored.
European countries, wake up! Funds that appear humanitarian may end up reaching groups associated with Hamas.
Crowdfunding platforms need to act firmly, and European governments must stop the flow of money without adequate supervision.”
The director-general of the ministry, Avi Cohen-Scali, added: “The phenomenon is much larger than it seems.
In the visible part alone, dozens of campaigns, dozens of entities, and more than $9.5 million have already been identified.
When money circulates through public channels with partial transparency and reaches groups linked to terrorism, this becomes a security, political, and economic challenge that demands a serious and coordinated response.”
The study focused only on public fundraising and did not include large private donations or hidden channels.
Israeli authorities remind that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are considered terrorist organizations by both the European Union and the United Kingdom, which makes it illegal to conduct open campaigns in their name.
Therefore, the money is often disguised as humanitarian aid.
Researchers believe that the real amount raised is much greater than identified.
Published in 06/04/2026 11h27
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
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