Beneath the language of charity and relief, federal prosecutors allege, a Gaza-based operative spent five years weaving a transnational web of deception — collecting millions in the name of hungry Palestinians while quietly feeding a designated terrorist organization. The indictment of Saleem Alzaq, unsealed this week, illuminates how humanitarian appeals can be weaponized, and how ordinary donors in Louisiana and Florida may have unknowingly become nodes in a network prosecutors link to Hamas' military wing. It is a case that asks enduring questions about trust, transparency, and the hidden a
U.S. charges Gaza man in $1.7M Hamas fundraising scheme involving American donors
He received money and gave it to the Green, but proof would be difficult.
Mark
So this is a fundraising operation disguised as humanitarian aid. How did prosecutors actually prove that the money was going to Hamas and not to legitimate relief efforts?
Mimi
The undercover operation was crucial. An FBI officer posing as a Hamas supporter contacted Alzaq on Snapchat, and Alzaq essentially explained the whole operation—talking about "the Green" as code for Hamas, describing how he received money and passed it along, even acknowledging the difficulty of getting proof because Hamas members avoided identification.
Luke
But here's the thing—that's Alzaq talking to someone he believed was a Hamas supporter. He's not exactly going to deny it in that context. The question is whether the actual donors knew where their money was going. The indictment says he instructed people not to mention Hamas on their donations, which suggests they might not have known.
Mimi
That's a fair point. The indictment describes the campaigns as claiming to provide food and winter necessities. Some donors may have genuinely believed they were funding humanitarian relief. Others—like the Louisiana brothers who gave $105,000—might have known exactly what they were doing.
Mark
What about the coded language? "Bread" and "bakeries" for money transfers—how did prosecutors connect that to actual Hamas payments?
Luke
The indictment alleges it, but I don't see specific evidence laid out that they traced actual money to actual Hamas operations. They have the language, they have Snapchat messages, they have the undercover conversations. But the leap from "Alzaq used coded language" to "this money reached Hamas operatives" isn't fully detailed in what's public.
Mimi
True, but the scale is significant. Over $1.7 million raised, at least $626,000 from the U.S. alone. That's not small-time. And Alzaq's been a Hamas member since 2017, posting propaganda celebrating the October 7 attack. The pattern is pretty clear.
Mark
He hasn't been arrested though. He's still in Gaza.
Luke
Right. He's in Gaza, which makes extradition essentially impossible. This is a prosecution that may never result in a trial. It's a public indictment, a statement of what prosecutors believe happened, but Alzaq will likely never face a U.S. courtroom.
Mimi
But it does expose the network. The co-conspirators in France, the donors in Louisiana and Florida—those people are now identified and potentially vulnerable to their own charges.
Mark
So this is partly about disrupting the network, not just prosecuting Alzaq.
Mimi
Exactly. And it sends a message to donors that the government is watching these fundraising campaigns closely.
Der Puls
- A 45-year-old Gaza resident allegedly ran a five-year, multi-country fundraising operation that moved over $1.7 million to Hamas while donors believed they were buying food and winter supplies for suffering Palestinians.
- The scheme accelerated on October 7, 2023 — the very day of Hamas' attack on Israel — when Alzaq allegedly launched a new campaign framing the violence as a humanitarian emergency requiring immediate donations.
- Coded words like 'bread' and 'bakeries' replaced direct references to Hamas in financial communications, and donors were explicitly warned not to write 'Free Palestine' on PayPal transfers to avoid triggering account closures.
- An undercover FBI officer posing as a New York-based Hamas supporter made contact via Snapchat in late 2025, drawing out admissions that Alzaq had active channels to receive and route money inside the United States.
- Alzaq remains at large in Gaza, facing charges that carry up to 20 years per count, while American co-conspirators in Louisiana and Florida are implicated in contributions totaling over $150,000 to the alleged network.
Beneath the language of charity and relief, federal prosecutors allege, a Gaza-based operative spent five years weaving a transnational web of deception — collecting millions in the name of hungry Palestinians while quietly feeding a designated terrorist organization. The indictment of Saleem Alzaq, unsealed this week, illuminates how humanitarian appeals can be weaponized, and how ordinary donors in Louisiana and Florida may have unknowingly become nodes in a network prosecutors link to Hamas' military wing. It is a case that asks enduring questions about trust, transparency, and the hidden architectures of political violence.
Federal prosecutors have unsealed an indictment charging Saleem Alzaq, a 45-year-old Gaza resident, with running an international fundraising operation that allegedly directed more than $1.7 million to Hamas between 2020 and 2025. The money, prosecutors say, was collected under the guise of humanitarian aid — food and winter supplies for Palestinians — while actually flowing to a designated terrorist organization. At least $626,000 came from donors inside the United States, including two Louisiana brothers who contributed roughly $105,000 and a Florida man who provided nearly $50,000.
Alzaq is described in the indictment as a Hamas affiliate since at least 2017 and a leader within the group's military wing. His alleged involvement sharpened after October 7, 2023: on the day of Hamas' attack on Israel, he reportedly launched a new campaign framing the assault's casualties as a fundraising opportunity. He had also been posting Hamas propaganda on social media, including content celebrating the attack.
The case was built in part through an undercover FBI operation. In November 2025, an agent posing as a New York Hamas supporter reached Alzaq on Snapchat. Over subsequent conversations, Alzaq allegedly described his network's capacity to receive and move money in the U.S., referring to Hamas using the term 'the Green' and explaining that funds could be delivered monthly using coded references to 'bread' and 'bakeries.' He also instructed donors to scrub their PayPal transactions of phrases like 'Free Palestine' to avoid triggering financial monitoring systems — a detail prosecutors say reveals his deliberate awareness of legal exposure.
Alzaq faces charges of conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization, money laundering conspiracy, and conspiracy to defraud the United States, among others — each carrying up to 20 years. He has not been arrested and remains in Gaza. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch called the case evidence of a sophisticated international finance network, and investigators describe it as one of the most significant Hamas fundraising prosecutions involving American donors since the October 2023 attack.
Federal prosecutors have charged a 45-year-old Gaza resident with orchestrating an international fundraising operation that funneled more than $1.7 million to Hamas, including at least $626,000 from donors inside the United States. The indictment, unsealed Thursday, alleges that Saleem Alzaq and his network of co-conspirators raised money under the cover of humanitarian relief—claiming funds would purchase food and winter supplies for Palestinians in Gaza—while actually directing the proceeds to the designated terrorist organization.
The scheme operated between January 2020 and December 2025, spanning multiple countries. Prosecutors say Alzaq, who has been affiliated with Hamas since at least 2017, worked with associates in France to collect and transfer money, while also cultivating relationships with donors in Louisiana and Florida. Two brothers from Louisiana allegedly contributed approximately $105,000 to the network, and a Florida resident provided nearly $50,000. The indictment describes Alzaq as a leader within Hamas' military wing, responsible for planning and executing attacks.
Alzaq's alleged involvement deepened after October 7, 2023. On that very day—when Hamas launched its attack on Israel—prosecutors say he launched a new fundraising campaign claiming to raise money for Gazans injured in the assault. The campaign remained active for roughly five days before closing. Beyond this, Alzaq had been posting Hamas propaganda on social media, including messages celebrating the October 2023 attack, according to the charges.
The case rests partly on evidence gathered through an undercover law enforcement operation. In November 2025, an FBI officer posing as a Hamas supporter based in New York contacted Alzaq via Snapchat. According to prosecutors, Alzaq indicated he had channels to receive money in New York and offered to connect the officer with his contacts there. The following month, Alzaq allegedly explained to the undercover officer that he worked with people who wanted to transfer funds to "the Green"—a coded reference to Hamas. He claimed he received money and passed it along, but acknowledged that Hamas members avoided using identification to prevent detection.
Alzaq developed an elaborate system of coded language to obscure the transfers. He allegedly told the undercover officer he could deliver money on a monthly basis using terms like "bread," "bakeries," "buy bread," and "give it to the bakeries." Earlier Snapchat messages showed he had discussed similar language with other U.S.-based Hamas supporters. When one supporter asked in January 2024 about money sent to "the bread people," Alzaq responded that he had "learned the way" and could deliver "whatever you want."
To protect his operation from detection, Alzaq allegedly instructed his donors to avoid certain phrases in their transactions. In October 2024, he told followers not to write "Free Palestine" or "long live Hamas" on donations to his PayPal accounts, warning that such language could trigger account closures. This instruction suggests Alzaq understood the legal risks and was actively working to evade financial monitoring systems.
The charges against Alzaq include conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization, conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to defraud the United States. The first three charges each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years; the fraud charge carries up to five years. Alzaq has not been arrested and remains in Gaza, where he has allegedly conducted these activities throughout the period in question.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch characterized the case as evidence of a sophisticated international finance network. "Our intelligence analysts uncovered this international finance network and built the case that exposed more than $2 million being funneled to Hamas," she said in a statement, describing Alzaq as a leader in Hamas' military operations. The investigation represents one of the largest prosecutions of alleged Hamas fundraising activity involving American donors since the October 2023 attack.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
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.— NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch
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