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The Israel Defense Forces and Israel Security Agency have exposed what they describe as a secret Hamas money-exchange network operating in central Turkey “under Iran’s direction,” according to documents and statements released this week.
According to the intelligence released by the IDF and ISA, exiled Gazans based in Turkey have used the country’s financial infrastructure to move large sums of money for Hamas, with transfers totaling hundreds of millions of dollars.
The agencies say the network operates in cooperation with the Iranian regime, transferring funds to Hamas and its senior officials and, according to Israel, helping the group rebuild its capabilities outside Gaza.
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Israeli intelligence identifies three Gazan operatives working under Iranian direction in Turkey: Tamer Hassan, a senior figure in Hamas’s finance office, along with currency exchangers Khalil Farwana and Farid Abu Dair. (Photo: IDF) (IDF )
The newly exposed documents include records of currency transfers amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars, which officials say represent only a small portion of the overall activity.
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.
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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.
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.”
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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.
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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.