Italy arrests 7 accused of raising millions for Hamas

Italian police said Saturday that they have arrested seven people suspected of raising millions of euros for Palestinian militant group Hamas. Police also issued international arrests for two others outside the country. For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Three associations, officially supporting Palestinian civilians but allegedly serving as a front for funding Hamas, are implicated in the investigation, said a police statement. The nine individuals are accused of having financed approximately seven million euros ($8 million) to “associations based in Gaza, the Palestinian territories, or Israel, owned, controlled, or linked to Hamas.” While the official objective of the three associations was to collect donations “for humanitarian purposes for the Palestinian people,” more than 71 percent was earmarked for the direct financing of Hamas” or entities affiliated with the movement, according to police. Some of the money went to “family