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$1.7 million raised in scheme for Hamas, including from U.S. donors, feds say

Saleem Alzaq, a 45-year-old Gaza man who prosecutors allege is a longtime Hamas member, was charged with helping operate the fundraising campaign claiming to provide humanitarian aid, according to an indictment.

Federal prosecutors have charged Saleem Alzaq, a 45-year-old Gaza man and longtime Hamas member, with raising over $1.7 million for the terrorist group through a scheme that included donations from U.S. donors. The alleged campaign, which operated from January 2020 to December 2025, falsely claimed to provide humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

U.S.-based donors contributed at least $626,000, according to the indictment. Alzaq has been a Hamas member since at least 2017 and has posted Hamas propaganda on social media. Co-conspirators in France helped collect and transfer funds, while donors from Louisiana and Florida also contributed to the terror network. Alzaq faces multiple charges, including conspiring to provide material support to Hamas, violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, money laundering, and defrauding the United States. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison for each charge.

Brief written by urgent.news from CBS News's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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