The Dutch daily De Telegraaf reported Saturday night that Mustafa Ayash, the man behind the Hamas propaganda network Gaza Now, was detained at Schiphol. According to the report, he is likely to be deported back to Austria.
The Telegram channel Gaza Now served as a major platform for Hamas propaganda and was used to spread graphic footage during the October 7 massacre, and has more than 1.5 million subscribers. His brother, Mohammed Ayash, was also involved in running the channel and was killed in Gaza last year.
The brothers not only spread propaganda but also exploited the platform to raise money and transfer it to terrorist groups in Gaza, including through cryptocurrency accounts.
According to US authorities, Ayash and the Gaza Now channel were involved in fundraising for Hamas under the guise of humanitarian relief donations.
Ayash initially operated from Austria, but he was detained by authorities there following sanctions imposed on him by the US and Britain. After an investigation and the closure of several Gaza Now accounts, he was released from prison.
