The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) revealed new intelligence pointing to a significant Hamas financial apparatus operating within Turkey under direct Iranian supervision. According to IDF Arabic spokesperson Colonel Avichay Adraee, the network has facilitated the movement of hundreds of millions of dollars to Hamas’s leadership and operatives. The information was released on Sunday alongside captured documentation obtained during Israeli operations.
The materials indicate that Hamas has constructed a sophisticated financial platform led by money changers—primarily Gazan expatriates living in Turkey—who have exploited Turkish banking and commercial infrastructure to fund terrorism. Israel assesses that these operatives managed large-scale economic activities, including the reception of Iranian capital, its laundering and storage, and the subsequent transfer of funds into Gaza and other Hamas-aligned nodes across the region.
The IDF and Shin Bet publicly identified three individuals involved with the financing network in Turkey. Tamar Hassan, reportedly “works directly under the leadership of Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya” and is a leader within Hamas’s de facto “finance ministry.” In addition, Khalil Farwana and Farid Abu Dayir were named as key facilitators working within the broader network of exchange companies.
“Hamas agents in Turkey channel funds for terrorist purposes,” Adraee commented, adding, “One wonders what a member of NATO is doing helping to facilitate terrorism.” The IDF spokesman’s accusation reflects a growing Israeli concern that Ankara is allowing its territory—and its financial system—to enable Iranian-controlled terror financing structures.
Israel’s assessment is that Hamas, energized by Iranian sponsorship, continues to pursue terrorist plotting and capability reconstruction from outside Gaza, despite the war’s heavy toll on its infrastructure inside the territory. The IDF and the Shin Bet have warned that any entity—commercial or governmental—engaging with this network should expect repercussions.
“The Iranian regime continues to be nose-deep in terrorism and corruption,” Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter said. The ambassador stated that the latest intelligence adds to mounting evidence illustrating a convergence between Tehran’s regional proxy strategy and Ankara’s permissive approach to Hamas operations.
Hamas’s use of Turkish-based operatives illustrates that the group has diversified its financial footprint to evade sanctions and border controls. In addition, the financing network indicates that Iran is leveraging Turkey’s economic ecosystem to enable the regeneration of a regional proxy.