The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) have uncovered what they claim to be a clandestine financial network operated by Hamas in central Turkey, allegedly orchestrated under the guidance of Iran. This revelation comes from a set of documents and statements disclosed earlier this week.
The intelligence indicates that individuals from Gaza, who are now based in Turkey, have been exploiting the country’s financial systems to channel substantial amounts of money to Hamas, with the total transfers reportedly reaching hundreds of millions of dollars. These activities, according to the agencies, are conducted in collaboration with the Iranian government, facilitating the flow of funds to Hamas and its senior members, thereby enabling the group to bolster its infrastructure beyond the borders of Gaza.
Israeli intelligence has pinpointed three key players in this operation, all of whom are Gazan expatriates working under Iranian guidance while residing in Turkey. These individuals include Tamer Hassan, a prominent figure in Hamas’s financial division, and two currency exchangers, Khalil Farwana and Farid Abu Dair.
The documents released by the IDF include evidence of currency transfers amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Officials assert that these records represent just a fraction of the network’s extensive financial maneuvers.
According to Israeli security sources, this money-exchange network is responsible for receiving, storing, and transferring Iranian funds from within Turkey’s borders. The exposure of this operation shines a light on the complex financial strategies employed by Hamas and its associates to sustain their activities.
According to the Israeli security agencies, the network receives, stores, and transfers Iranian funds from within Turkey.
The IDF and ISA identified three Gazan operatives working in Turkey whom they say are central to the network: Tamer Hassan, described as a senior official in Hamas’s finance office in Turkey operating directly under Khalil al-Hayya, and currency exchangers Khalil Farwana and Farid Abu Dair.
Israel says Iran’s backing has remained constant and that Hamas continues to rebuild its operational capabilities beyond the borders of the Gaza Strip.
People protest in support of Palestinians in Gaza during a protest rally in Istanbul, Turkey, on Feb. 17, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
The timing of the IDF and ISA revelations comes amid an ongoing U.S. debate over Turkey’s regional role and its relationship with Hamas. Fox News has previously reported that Turkey has hosted Hamas figures for years and has sought a leading role in postwar Gaza, even as the Trump administration weighs whether to allow Turkish troops to participate in a U.S.-backed stabilization mission.
Sinan Ciddi, a Turkey expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that Ankara’s political protection of Hamas — paired with its hostility toward Israeli military actions — has created a permissive sanctuary that Israeli pressure alone cannot shut down.Â
Ciddi argues the presence of Turkish-based operatives shows how Hamas has diversified its financial footprint to evade sanctions and border controls. Ciddi added that for Israel, “this is not just a financial concern but a strategic warning signal”, arguing that Iran is embedding itself deeper into Turkey’s economic ecosystem and enabling a regional proxy to regenerate and project forces. If left unchecked, he warned, “the network could fuel future attacks and expand Hamas’s influence across the region, undermining Israel’s war aims and long-term security.”
In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, Gonul Tol, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and author of “Erdoğan’s War: A Strongman’s Struggle at Home and in Syria,” said Turkey’s aggressive Gaza posture is deeply tied to Erdoğan’s domestic political survival and his longstanding support for Islamist movements across the region.
“The primary goal there is domestic politics,” she said. “Erdoğan has always framed himself as the champion of the Palestinian cause, and by his most conservative constituency, he’s often pushed to take a strong stance against Israel.”
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a rally in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Istanbul, Turkey October 28, 2023. (Reuters/Dilara Senkaya)
But Tol noted that Erdoğan has also been pragmatic behind the scenes, particularly in his dealings with Washington. “People in his circle say the Hamas leadership had been asked to leave Turkey quietly. They are doing everything not to anger the Trump administration,” she said.
She added that Erdoğan even pushed Hamas to accept Trump’s Gaza proposal, noting that it included provisions that did not favor the organization.
Israeli officials have long argued that Turkey’s permissive environment has allowed Hamas to operate external networks, including financial arms backed by Iran, and say the newly released intelligence underscores the risks of allowing Turkey deeper involvement in Gaza’s future.
People gather in support of the recent attacks on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas at Fatih Mosque on October 07, 2023, in Istanbul, Turkey. (Burak Kara/Getty Images)
In announcing the findings, the IDF and ISA warned individuals and institutions against engaging with the exposed network or any other financial arms linked to Hamas, saying such interactions risk contributing to terrorist financing and aiding Hamas’s attempts to reconstitute its infrastructure abroad.
The Turkish Embassy did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
