Gaza charity leaders arrested in Italy over alleged Hamas fundraising

But investigators believe that more than 70 per cent of these funds were used to finance “associations based in Gaza, the Palestinian territories, or Israel, owned, controlled, or linked to Hamas”.

Some of this money even allegedly found its way to “family members implicated in terrorist attacks”.

More than €7 million (just over £6 million) has been seized by authorities.

Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi praised police for the operation, which he said “lifted the veil on behaviour and activities which, pretending to be initiatives in favour of the Palestinian population, concealed support for and participation in terrorist organisations”.