Israel seizes millions of dollars of Hamas funding in West Bank raids
Israel seizes millions of dollars of Hamas funding in West Bank raids
Israeli army and Shin Bet security personnel carried out the raids across the West Bank, targeting financial service providers, as well as cryptocurrencies, with a special cyber crimes unit taking part in the investigation
Israeli forces raided foreign exchange and money transfer agencies in Ramallah and other cities in the West Bank on Thursday, seizing millions of dollars suspected of being intended to fund the Islamist terrorist group Hamas, the military said.
At least one person was killed and 14 others were wounded in a clash between Israeli troops and Palestinians in the centre of Ramallah, the main city in the West Bank and the seat of the Palestinian Authority, the Palestinian health ministry said.
An Israeli military statement said police, army and Shin Bet security personnel carried out the raids across the West Bank, making 21 arrests in Ramallah as well as Tulkarm and Jenin, in the northern West Bank and Hebron in the south.
"During the operation, terrorist funds were found and tens of millions of shekels, safes, documents, recording systems and telephones were confiscated," it said.
As well as financial service providers, the operation also targeted cryptographic currencies, with a special cyber crimes unit taking part in the investigation, the military said.
Clashes also broke out in several other locations. The Israeli military said its soldiers opened fire after explosives, petrol bombs and rocks were thrown at them.
In Jenin, an Israeli aircraft fired on militants who had attacked troops, it said.
Israeli security forces have stepped up raids across the West Bank since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas in southern Israel and the subsequent Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip.
