French authorities have placed five people under formal investigation on suspicion of financing Hamas through humanitarian associations, according to Sud Ouest. The case includes an association based in Gironde, the outlet reports, and the suspects are said to be directly linked to a blacklist maintained by Washington.
Among those examined is a charity official in Saint-Étienne, according to leprogres.fr. Le Monde.fr also reports that five people were placed under formal examination over suspicions that Hamas was financed via humanitarian organizations.
Le Parisien reports that some of the associations are accused of raising funds for Hamas using cryptocurrencies, and that they drew on images from the conflict to solicit donations. 20 Minutes frames part of the case around two French nationals whom the United States accuses of financing Hamas.
The reporting indicates the French investigation intersects with US designations, though the outlets do not detail the specific evidence behind the charges. A formal investigation in France means judges have opened a case against a suspect but have not yet reached a verdict.
What to watch next: whether prosecutors release further details on the Gironde association and how the French proceedings connect to the US accusations against the two French nationals.
