Israel arrests 21 in Judea and Samaria for funding Hamas

(JNS) — Israeli forces arrested 21 Palestinians in Judea and Samaria overnight suspected of involvement in financing the Hamas terrorist organization while confiscating over $2.7 million in funds, the military said on Thursday morning. IDF soldiers, the Israel Police’s National Cyber Crime Unit (part of Lahav 433) and the Israel Border Police conducted the joint operation under the direction of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and IDF Central Command intelligence. The raids were conducted after Defense Minister Yoav Gallant designated five foreign exchange offices as terrorist organizations due to their funneling money to Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza. They are Halhol, Beit al-Maqdes, al-Fakhr, al-Ajoli and Noor al-Hada. Nine branches of the foreign exchanges were raided during the overnight operation. “During the operation, terrorist funds were located and tens of millions of shekels, safes, documents, recording systems and telephones were confiscated,” the IDF said. While troops were in Jenin as part of the operation, they came under fire from a terrorist squad. An Israeli Air Force craft attacked the terrorist squad. Also, in several areas of Judea and Samaria, the forces shot at terrorists after they threw explosive devices, Molotov cocktails and stones at the troops and shot at the soldiers. Hits were detected among the terrorists. Soldiers were also operating in Ramallah, where, according to Palestinian reports, a terrorist was killed by IDF fire during clashes in the administrative capital of the Palestinian Authority.