Investigators from the Genoa Anti-Mafia Directorate are focusing on a series of digital files allegedly deleted from the computers of associations suspected of raising funds for Hamas from Italy. According to prosecutors, some documents were erased out of fear of inspections and arrests, while backup copies may have been stored on an external hard drive and entrusted to a trusted third party.
Wiretaps suggest that several suspects, including Mohammed Hannoun and Abu Falastine, had long planned to wipe the computers at the Milan headquarters of the association “La Cupola,” described by investigators as a key fundraising hub. In a conversation recorded last June, Falastine said he had deleted receipts and old files, while keeping a backup copy elsewhere. During searches, authorities seized multiple electronic devices; in one case, three computers were reportedly found hidden inside a wall cavity in an apartment in the province of Lodi.
Prosecutors believe the group operated an organized system to move money to Gaza, often concealing cash within humanitarian aid shipments. Large sums allegedly reached the Strip via routes passing through Cairo, Amman or Istanbul, using couriers or members of charitable delegations. Some intercepted conversations also refer not only to Hamas but to Hezbollah as well.
Hannoun’s lawyers deny the allegations, arguing that the case relies heavily on evidence and assessments provided by Israeli sources, which they say cannot be independently verified in a way that fully complies with Italian legal safeguards.