New Reports Show Growing Hamas Network in Europe

Latest Developments

A network of groups affiliated with the Iran-backed terrorist group Hamas is growing across Europe, according to a series of new reports that the European Leadership Network (ELNET) released on October 15. The reports expose a group of 30 Hamas-affiliated organizations and individuals across the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands. “Despite Hamas being designated as a terrorist organization by both individual European governments and the [European Union], the reports reveal that Hamas-affiliated groups continue to operate with relative freedom across Europe,” ELNET, a nonprofit organization that works to foster stronger ties between Europe and Israel, said. “These organizations often circumvent legal frameworks by operating without official registration or by shutting down previously designated entities and transferring operations to newly formed groups.”

In Germany, organizations such as the Palestinian Community in Germany, the Association of Arab and Palestinian Associations and Institutions in Berlin, and the United Palestinian National Committee in Berlin “all share a similar roster of officials who participated in Hamas-affiliated organizations across Europe.” Additionally, ELNET notes that Hezbollah and the Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine — both designated in the United States and Europe as terrorist organizations — “also have ‘civilian arms’ in Germany.”

Hamas also has a longstanding presence in the United Kingdom. ELNET identified several Hamas-affiliated organizations in the United Kingdom, including Miles of Smiles, Education Aid for Palestinians, the Palestinian Forum in Britain, and the British Muslim Initiative. ELNET explains how these organizations “hide behind other goals as they propagate Hamas’ radical messages in Parliament and among the masses.”

According to ELNET, an operative named Mohammad Hannoun has “turned Italy into a major platform for Hamas activities in Europe” by overseeing “the hijacking of civilian infrastructures and social services.” Moreover, ELNET reports that “Hamas has managed to infiltrate Belgium and the Netherlands for its illicit fundraising activities.”

Expert Analysis

“In too many European countries, organizations that carry out advocacy for Hamas, a genocidal terrorist organization, are allowed to pass themselves off as civil society associations, charities, and so forth. Measures to proscribe Hamas must now be extended to incorporate these satellite groups. Germany has made some progress in this regard — other European states should follow suit.” — Ben Cohen, FDD Senior Analyst and Rapid Response Manager

“As Palestinian groups have globalized the intifada, Europe, the United States, and others have begun sanctioning the network of sham charities and nonprofits operated by Hamas and other terrorist groups to raise money and spread propaganda. This is a good reminder that the West is a battleground in Iran and Hamas’s war against Israel.” — David May, FDD Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst