Israeli authorities foiled Hamas terror funding scheme linking Gaza and West Bank

Israeli security forces arrested three Palestinian suspects overnight Tuesday as part of an operation to thwart a Hamas terror financing scheme that saw funds transferred between the Gaza Strip and West Bank under the guise of civilian firms.

Under the scheme, money was transferred by senior Hamas terrorists in Gaza to operatives in the West Bank through the Al-Haramain travel agency using a method of offsetting debts between several independent money changers without registration in official banking systems, thus obscuring the original source of the funds.

According to an IDF statement, the funds were used for terrorist activity in the West Bank and to pay the salaries of Hamas operatives in the territory.

The three suspects detained in connection with the scheme were named as Ibrahim Matsafar and Khalid Matsafar, brothers from the West Bank village of Mazra al-Nuwani, and Muhammad Abu Salim.

All three were identified as members of Hamas. Ibrahim Matsafar and Muhammad Abu Salim were identified as former security prisoners.

The IDF said Israel would increase enforcement against civilian companies cooperating with terrorist elements in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

“The methods used by Hamas to transfer funds are familiar to us and we are working to thwart them,” the IDF said in its statement.

Source: Israel Hayom