He is also Canadian.
And so are others in the Palestinian terrorist group that killed 1,200 and took more than 200 hostages on Oct. 7, 2023, Global News has learned.
About 450 people with assorted roles in Hamas have ties to Canada, according to a source familiar with the intelligence on the matter.
The source, who spoke on the condition of not being identified, said the list was comprised of permanent residents, as well as those with family or associates in Canada.
But it also included citizens like Ali, an alleged member of the Hamas executive team who runs the terror group’s financial office.
The figure dates to the time of the Hamas attack on Israel that brought the Middle East to the brink of regional war and may no longer be so high, the source added.
The Israeli offensive in Gaza has killed tens of thousands, and airstrikes have targeted the Hamas leadership in Lebanon, Iran and Qatar.
As Gaza’s de facto government, Hamas controlled a broad array of institutions for almost two decades, and many residents could have therefore had dealings with the group out of necessity.
But the number said to have been active in the organization in various capacities, and connected to Canada, is significant and includes a top leader.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service confirmed it was investigating Canadians in Middle East terror groups, but declined to elaborate.
Hamas is a listed terrorist entity in Canada, making it illegal to participate in or contribute to “any activity” of the group, which Public Safety Canada calls a “radical Islamist-nationalist terrorist organization.”
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The Canadians in Hamas: The operative, leader and financier
Hamas militants and Egyptian workers search for the bodies of Israeli hostages in the Shijaiyah neighborhood of Gaza City Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi).
By Stewart Bell & Jeff Semple Global News
Published November 19, 2025
9 min read
Usama Ali is an alleged Hamas operative, leader and financier.
He is also Canadian.
And so are others in the Palestinian terrorist group that killed 1,200 and took more than 200 hostages on Oct. 7, 2023, Global News has learned.
About 450 people with assorted roles in Hamas have ties to Canada, according to a source familiar with the intelligence on the matter.
The source, who spoke on the condition of not being identified, said the list was comprised of permanent residents, as well as those with family or associates in Canada.
But it also included citizens like Ali, an alleged member of the Hamas executive team who runs the terror group’s financial office.
The figure dates to the time of the Hamas attack on Israel that brought the Middle East to the brink of regional war and may no longer be so high, the source added.
The Israeli offensive in Gaza has killed tens of thousands, and airstrikes have targeted the Hamas leadership in Lebanon, Iran and Qatar.
As Gaza’s de facto government, Hamas controlled a broad array of institutions for almost two decades, and many residents could have therefore had dealings with the group out of necessity.
But the number said to have been active in the organization in various capacities, and connected to Canada, is significant and includes a top leader.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service confirmed it was investigating Canadians in Middle East terror groups, but declined to elaborate.
Hamas is a listed terrorist entity in Canada, making it illegal to participate in or contribute to “any activity” of the group, which Public Safety Canada calls a “radical Islamist-nationalist terrorist organization.”
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“The government of Canada must act urgently to confront the threat posed by Hamas-linked individuals, both to prevent attacks on Canadian soil and to ensure Canada is not exploited to facilitate terrorism abroad,” said Noah Shack, CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.
“Participation in a banned terrorist group must bring real consequences. Canadians deserve to be protected from terrorist threats.”
A leading expert on Hamas said the 450 number was plausible and that other western countries also accounted for significant numbers.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” said Matthew Levitt, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “This will include people at all kinds of levels.”
They would range from full Hamas members to those who served in government in some capacity when it was led by the terror group, Levitt said.
Holding foreign citizenship offers advantages for groups like Hamas, such as easier movement across borders and consular protection, he said.
“Having a foreign passport, especially a western passport, is a ticket to travel,” said Levitt, author of the book Hamas: Politics, Charity and Terrorism in the Service of Jihad.
The investor
Hamas fighters at the site of the handover of the bodies of four Israeli hostages in Khan Yunis, Gaza, Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Saeed Jaras/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM
Hamas fighters at the site of the handover of the bodies of four Israeli hostages in Khan Yunis, Gaza, Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Saeed Jaras/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM.
The most senior Canadian in Hamas is a 63-year-old with a trim grey beard who also holds Lebanese citizenship and goes by the names Usama Ali, Radwan and Rizwan, among others.
U.S. sanctions levied against him in 2022 list three Canadian passports he has used. While his current whereabouts are unknown, the branch he allegedly runs is based in Turkey.
Details of Ali’s life in Canada are unclear, but the U.S. Treasury Department has alleged that in 2017, he was appointed head of the Hamas Investment Office.
Originally in Saudi Arabia, the investment office relocated to Turkey and accumulated an estimated US$500 million in assets, including construction and real estate companies.
The businesses spanned Africa and the Middle East and were used to hide money, generate revenue and bankroll Hamas, according to the Treasury Department statement.
“It’s a strategic long-term investment,” said Levitt, a former U.S. Treasury official. “You are living off the income that the companies are generating.”
On paper, Ali had no role in the companies but “was involved in their business activities,” and co-ordinated “financial transfers to Hamas,” the statement alleged.
However, Ali’s deputy, Hisham Younis Yahia Qafisheh, a Jordanian, held “key roles” in the Hamas-controlled businesses, the statement added.
He was deputy chair of Trend GYO, a Turkish development company, which has denied supporting Hamas. He was also chair and director of development companies in Sudan, according to the allegations.
The Hamas investment office covertly held additional assets in companies in Algeria and the United Arab Emirates, the treasury statement said.
A significant portion of company funds went to the Hamas military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, which led the Oct. 7 attack, it added.
In 2019, Ali became a member of the Shura Council, a consultative body that elects Hamas executives and shapes the terror group’s strategies and policies.
He also served on the Executive Committee, the main Hamas decision-making body, which was led by political leader Ismail Haniyeh, according to the U.S. and Israel.
Ali “maintained direct contact with senior Hamas leaders,” including Haniyeh, deputy chief Salih al-Aruri and financial official Zahar Jabarin, Israeli authorities alleged.
