Israeli security forces entered three bank branches in the Palestinian city Ramallah and confiscated more than $8.5 million, suspected of being designated for terror activities.
The February 25 operation was planned months ahead and included units from the police, the border police, and the Israel Defense Forces.
The two banks at stake are the Cairo-Amman Bank and the Arab Bank.
All in all, money from more than 400 bank accounts was confiscated. The accounts belong to both private citizens and charity organizations.
According to Israeli security sources those accounts are believed to have been used for the transfer of money from Syria, Lebanon, Iran, and other Middle Eastern countries, to fund terror organizations.
The Palestinian newspapers have all given wide coverage to this operation. Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmad Qurei’ described it as “very dangerous,” and said “it resembles mafia behavior, no more, no less.”
During the operation hundreds of Palestinians were rioting outside the banks, throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at soldiers. The Israeli security forces fired rubber bullets at the protesters. Some 42 Palestinians were evacuated to nearby hospitals.
The confiscated money will be transferred to humanitarian causes in the Palestinian Authority, said Shaul Mofaz, Israel’s defense minister.