Iran operates funding network in Turkey to support Hamas, IDF reveals

IDF Arabic Spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee on Sunday announced the exposure of a secret currency exchange network in Turkey, operated by Hamas and overseen by Iran in order to raise funds for the terror group. 

The IDF and Shin Bet released Hamas documents showing that the terror organization, under Iranian leadership, operates a network of money changers, composed of Gazans living in Turkey, exploiting the country's financial infrastructure for terror purposes. 

❗️ EXPOSED: Documents revealing that, under Iran’s direction, Hamas operates a network of exiled Gazan currency exchangers in central Turkey, exploiting the country’s financial system for their terrorist purposes.

The network transfers hundreds of millions of dollars directly to… pic.twitter.com/GxdSV9pz4p

— LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) December 7, 2025

As part of the exposure, the IDF released documents from the exchange network, which reveal a small number of the money transfers, amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

According to Adraee, the Gazan exiles, working as money changers, operate with the cooperation and support of the Iranian regime, using the financial network to transfer hundreds of millions of dollars directly to Hamas and its leadership. 

Adraee revealed the identities of three Gazans working as money changers in Turkey: Tamer Hassan, a Senior Hamas Finance Office official in Turkey operating directly under Khalil al-Haya, and Khalil Farwana and Farid Abu Dair, who work under Hassan. 

The IDF said this is part of Hamas’ efforts to reestablish itself both inside and outside of Gaza, and to continue to plot against the state of Israel. 

Col. Adraee also gave a warning to those working with Hamas, saying, “The IDF and Shin Bet warn against the dangers of establishing any relations or dealings with this money exchange network or with any other economic arms affiliated with the terrorist organization Hamas.” 

Turkey, along with Qatar, is one of the main countries hosting exiled Hamas leadership, and the country has refused to condemn Hamas or designate it as a terror organization. Turkey has allowed senior Hamas officials to operate from its territory under certain restrictions, as part of this policy. The Turkish government has hosted meetings with Hamas leadership, including last month, in which Hamas leaders met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, to coordinate positions ahead of the move to the next phase of the peace plan put forward by U.S. President Donald Trump. 

The Turkish government also acts as a mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and signed the Trump peace plan Sharm el-Sheikh, which implies that it will act as a guarantor of the plan. In reality, Turkey, along with Qatar, have been pushing back against key points of the peace plan, such as the disarming of Hamas, and establishment of an international stabilization force (ISF), responsible for that disarming, and for enforcing peace within the Gaza Strip. At the recent Doha Forum, both Turkey and Qatar said that the ISF should be on the border of Gaza, but not operate within the enclave.  

Turkey has also made statements supporting the Hamas position that the group will only hand over its weapons to a Palestinian state government, which is also contrary to the Trump peace plan, which calls for Hamas to surrender its weapons before any attempt to establish a Palestinian state.