Federal prosecutors have charged 45-year-old Saleem Alzaq with orchestrating a global network that sent over $1.7 million to Hamas. The scheme allegedly used humanitarian claims to solicit funds, including more than $626,000 from contributors in the United States.
The $626,000 American pipeline to Hamas
The international fundraising network allegedly targeted donors in the U.S. and France to sustain Hamas operations. According to the indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court, Saleem Alzaq managed a system that collected at least $626,000 from U.S.-based donors between January 2020 and December 2025. The network utilized several American conduits to move the money, including Raed Yousef of Florida, who is accused of funneling nearly $50,000.
In Louisiana, federal authorities arrested brothers Abdel and Omar Adhami for their roles in the scheme. As reported by prosecutors , Abdel Adhami allegedly transferred more than $83,000 to Hamas between 2023 and 2026, while Omar Adhami is accused of sending $6,000 .. These figures represent a fraction of the total $1.7 million the network allegedly amassed under the guise of providing food and winter necessities to Gazans.
Using 'bread' and 'bakeries' to mask terror funding
To evade law enforcement detection, Saleem Alzaq and the Adhami brothers allegedly employed a sophisticated system of coded language. Court documents reveal that the conspirators used terms such as "bread," "bakeries," and "buy bread" when discussing the funding of Hamas fighters. In one January 2024 Snapchat message,Saleem Alzaq allegedly thanked Abdel Adhami by referencing a person who "donated the bread."
The deception extended to the digital payment methods used to collect the funds . Saleem Alzaq allegedly instructed his followers to avoid using phrases like "Free Palestine" or "long live Hamas" on PayPal donations to prevent their accounts from being frozen.. Manhattan federal prosecutors noted that the phrase "Free Palestine" was used in this context as a reference to the goal of destroying Israel and establishing a state under Sharia law .
How NYPD officer 'Hussain' penetrated the Snapchat network
The exposure of the network relied heavily on an undercover operation conducted by the New York Police Department. In November 2025, an NYPD officer posing as a Hamas supporter named "Hussain" contacted Saleem Alzaq via Snapchat to inquire about making contributions. During these exchanges, Saleem Alzaq allegedly boasted about having a wide network of young American supporters in New York and Ohio.
During the operation, Saleem Alzaq allegedly admitted to the undercover officer that he worked with individuals to get money to "the Green," which prosecutors identify as a code for Hamas. He further cautioned that providing proof of these transactions would be difficult because Hamas members intentionally avoid using identification to maintain anonymity.
A pattern of humanitarian fronts since 2017
This case is part of a broader trend of using charitable facades to fund militant activities, a tactic Saleem Alzaq has allegedly employed since becoming a Hamas member in 2017. The indictment claims that Alzaq, who worked in the Hamas media office, frequently used social media to celebrate the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel while simultaneously launching a fundraising campaign for "injured Gazans" that remained open until October 12, 2023.
The scale of the operation suggests a coordinated effort between Gaza-based leadership and international facilitators. In addition to the U.S. arrests, the French General Directorate for Internal Security arrested three alleged associates: Faouzi Barika, Amel Oualid, and Nordine Barika, illustrating the transnational nature of the financial pipeline.
The missing link between the $1.7 million and specific terror plots
Despite the detailed tracking of the $1.7 million, significant gaps remain in the public record. Court papers do not currently reveal exactly how Hamas utilized the funds or whether the money was directly linked to specific terrorist plots. Furthermore, while several co-conspirators have been detained, Saleem Alzaq remains at large in Gaza, leaving the full extent of his current operational capacity unknown.
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