On October 7, Gaza-based Palestinian terrorist group Hamas attacked Israel killing more than 1,400 people, injuring thousands, while it has abducted over 200 Israeli, American, British and foreign nationals. During the October 7 Hamas pogrom, this notorious terrorist outfit fired thousands of rockets into Israeli territory. This gruesome terrorist attack prompted an immediate response from the government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Meanwhile, members and supporters of Hamas are continuing anti-Israel and anti-Jewish propaganda and so-called protests in almost all the countries, including Western cities, whereas Hamas men and women are openly flexing muscle targeting westerners, which is seen by counterterrorism experts as an attempt of Islamic conquest of the West.
While experts are trying to find the source of funding of this dangerous terrorist group, according to media reports, back in 2014, at a joint hearing before the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, the United States Congress described Qatar as “perhaps the largest financial patron of Hamas”. The hearing was further informed that Qatar funds Hamas’ strikes in Gaza, as well as its project, “building terror tunnels from which to attack Israel rather than building up Gaza for the Palestinian people”.
On October 14, 2023, France24 in an article titled ‘Qatar, Iran, Turkey and beyond: Hamas’s network of allies’ said: “Hamas has maintained ties with several regional powers and organizations in the Middle East since its creation in 1987. Whether it comes to financing, military aid or ideological support, the Palestinian Islamist movement can count on several regional allies in its deadly fight with Israel”.
It further said, “After Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel on October 7, the countries and organizations that support the Palestinian Islamist movement are under scrutiny. Algeria, Iran, Sudan and Tunisia have openly expressed support for Hamas in recent days. Classified as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and Israel, Hamas has established strong links with several regional powers since its creation in 1987”.
The France24 report further said, “Some analysts claim that Doha is a financial backer for Hamas. “Their financial support of US$30 million per month is proven and public,” said Didier Billion, deputy director of the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS). “These payments are justified to pay civil servants in Gaza, and we know perfectly well that the latter are members of Hamas. Doha’s money is therefore the equivalent of direct support for this organization which has held the Palestinian enclave with an iron fist for many years”.
The financial support began five years ago to avoid “a major humanitarian crisis in Gaza”, as the French newspaper Libération reported in 2018. The first payment of US$15 million arrived in three large suitcases brought into Gaza through the Israeli border crossing at Erez, in the north of the enclave. Qatar’s envoy to Gaza, Mohammed al-Emadi, also known as the unofficial intermediary between the Gaza Strip, Doha and Israel, delivered the cash”.
Earlier Reuters reported that the US State Department in February 2023 said that Hamas raises funds in other Gulf countries and gets donations from Palestinians, other expatriates and its own charities.
According to Reuters, since 2014, Qatar has paid millions of dollars to Gaza. The report said that at one point Qatar was spending US$30 million per month to help operate Gaza’s sole power plant and support families and public servants in the Hamas-run government.
“Qatari aid provides 100 dollars to the poorest Palestinian families and extends the period of electricity during a day in Gaza”, a Qatari official said in response. The official added that Qatar had helped “maintain stability and quality of life for … Palestinian families”.
Meanwhile, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in a report said, Iran has provided funds to The al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, the armed wing of the Fatah through Hezbollah facilitators. The CIA adds that Iran has cooperated with other terrorist groups like Hamas in the region.
According to media reports, Palestinian terrorist outfit Hamas is also tapping into cryptocurrency with support from online donors around the world. It has established a wide network by forming alliance with crypto dealers in Dubai, London, Paris, and a number of East European capitals while it also makes cash through running fake cryptocurrency firms with the help of crypto-frauds. Recently, Israeli authorities confiscated cryptocurrency addresses believed to be linked to Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups. Quoting private analysts, CNN is a report said, these digital assets have been estimated to be collectively worth tens of millions of dollars. Hamas has been particularly focusing on financial transactions through cryptocurrency for bypassing sanctions. It may be mentioned here that Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by both the United States and the European Union.
Quoting counterterrorism expert Matthew Levitt, Reuters in a report said, a significant portion of Hamas’ budget, over US$300 million, comes from business taxes and support from countries like Iran and Qatar, as well as charitable contributions. The State Department also noted Hamas’ fundraising efforts in Gulf countries and donations from Palestinians and expatriates.
Meanwhile, according to media reports, in addition to receiving fund from Iran, Qatar, Palestinians and expatriates, Hamas also generates millions of dollars each year through transnational drug trafficking. It has been running drug trafficking by forming alliance with Juan Orlando Hernández, Former President of Honduras, who has been indicted on Drug-Trafficking charges, extradited to the United States from Honduras, and a jihadist terrorist named Zulkarnain Saer alias Zulkarnain Saer Khan alias Zulkarnain Sami, alias Sami alias Tanvir Md. Sadat alias Tanvir, a the self-styled “research analyst at Al Jazeera’s i-Unit”.
Zulkarnain Saer alias Zulkarnain Saer Khan Sami alias Tanvir Md. Sadat was bearing Bangladeshi passport number EG0092902 (date of issue May 22, 2020). His birth ID number is 19830007842012539. Sami also possesses 3 more Bangladeshi passports number B1765649, BJ050260, AC5075647. His driving license number is DK-0014714L00009. His Hungarian ID card number is 000529284. His second wife’s name is Aditia Firoza Khan, Passport number BJ0520244.
Despite the fact that father’s name of Zulkarnain Saer Khan Sami alias Tanvir Md. Sadat is Mohammed Abdul Baset Khan. But in his passports Zulkarnain Saer has on-purpose changed his father’s name to “Colonel Wasit Khan” with the ulterior motive of dodging law enforcing agencies from getting hold of his criminal records.
In Hungary Zulkarnain Saer Khan Sami was running a couple of restaurants including an Indian restaurant named ‘Curry House’ located at District, VIII., 1. Horánszky Street – Budapest, Hungary. Media reports claimed, under the garb of restaurant business, Zulkarnain Saer Khan Sami was running illegal activities.
On May 20, 2022, Zulkarnain Saer Khan Sami alias Tanvir Md. Sadat established a company named ‘SAMS INC LTD’ in the United Kingdom. Company number 13411356. Proposed registered office address of this company is: Kemp House, 160 City Road, London, United Kingdom EC1V 2NX. Main reason behind establishment of ‘SAMS INC LTD’ is to shift his illegal activities, such as drug trafficking, money-laundering and maintaining connections with various terrorist outfits from Hungary to the United Kingdom.
According to Bangladesh Army, Zulkarnain Saer Khan is an ex-cadet expelled from Bangladesh Military Academy on charges of drug addiction. For years, sitting in Hungary Saer Khan has been running illegal transnational money-laundering and drug trafficking activities under the garb of restaurant business. His restaurant, which is located in Budapest, Hungary is basically a meeting point of people linked to illegal activities.
On September 24, 2016, explosion ripped through the center of Budapest and seriously injured two policemen. The blast occurred a week before the country went to the polls to vote in the controversial migrant quota referendum. The social media chatter immediately connected the bombing with the referendum, while counterterrorism experts saw hands of radical Islamic terrorist groups behind this explosion. But no one knew – this terrorist attack plot was finalized by some Muslim terrorists weeks back at the Curry House – a restaurant owned by Zulkarnain Saer Khan.
It is claimed by one of Khan’s Hungarian friends, this Bangladeshi born businessman has been running transnational money laundering activities under the garb of restaurant business, while he also is actively involved in supplying escort girls mostly to tourists from Asian countries.
