US: 2 Louisiana Brothers Charged With Funneling USD 1.7 Million to Hamas Under Guise of Gaza Aid
A purported Hamas media representative, Saleem Alzaq, and two Louisiana brothers, Abdel and Omar Adhami, have been charged in a federal indictment unsealed Thursday for funneling roughly USD 1.7 million to Hamas. Prosecutors allege the suspects solicited donations on social media platforms under the guise of humanitarian aid for orphans and the poor in Gaza.
A purported media representative for Hamas has been accused of funneling roughly USD 1.7 million to the terrorist organisation from donors in the US and elsewhere who believed they were giving humanitarian aid to Gaza, according to a federal indictment unsealed Thursday. Saleem Alzaq was indicted by a federal grand jury in New York and was charged with money laundering and violating sanctions, according to the charging document. He was believed to be in Gaza.
Two brothers in the US were also charged in connection with the long-running scheme to raise money for Hamas, by disseminating propaganda and soliciting donations for “the poor and orphans in Gaza” via social media, court records show, NBC News reported. Two Louisiana brothers have been accused of raising money for Hamas after federal investigators traced financial transactions and online outreach efforts spanning several years. Nova Music Festival Survivor Bar Asraf Takes His Life at Partner's Burial Site Years After Hamas Attack.
Louisiana Brothers Arrested on Material Support Charges
Abdel Adhami and Omar Adhami were arrested last month in Louisiana, but the details of their charges were unsealed only after they made their first court appearances, court dockets show.
Abdel Adhami faces charges of material support to a foreign terrorist organization, wire fraud and money laundering, according to a complaint filed on Sept. 11 in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Meanwhile, his brother Omar Adhami is also charged with material support and wire fraud charges, according to his complaint.
An attorney for the brothers didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment. They were detained pending a detention hearing and have not yet entered a plea.
Federal prosecutors outlined how digital platforms were leveraged to attract donors under the guise of charitable relief work. From 2021 to November 2025, Abdel Adhami used various Snapchat accounts to post Hamas propaganda and raise money for the terrorist organization after referring social media followers to his Telegram account, according to his criminal complaint. Abdel Adhami also allegedly solicited money for Gaza through Instagram.
Investigators stated that donors contributed funds believing their money was assisting vulnerable civilians, while the proceeds were routed through intermediaries to support Hamas operations.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 02, 2026 09:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
