Israeli security forces confiscated over 3 million shekels allegedly used to fund the terror activities of West Bank cells in raids conducted in Nablus, Jenin, Ramallah, Hebron and Tulkarm on Tuesday.
IDF soldiers accompanied by Israel Police and Civil Administration officials searched the homes of 14 money changers in the West Bank cities, confiscating guns and ammunition.

According to the army between October and December 2007, a total of $3.4 million was transferred to Palestinian terror groups operating in the West Bank, mainly those affiliated with Hamas.
Palestinian media reports claimed ten money changers were detained by Israeli security forces during Tuesday's raids.

In 2006, funds to the tune of $1.6 million were confiscated in similar raids, at the time Israeli security officials estimated that much of the cash stemmed from Iran and terror headquarters affiliated with the Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Lebanon and Syria. In 2004, Israeli security forces confiscated $10.4 million in similar raids.

International security experts have in the past estimated that Iran sent over $100 million a year to Hizbullah and has also been involved in the past in direct transactions of millions of dollars directly to Hamas.

In raids conducted by security forces in the past, security forces confiscated funds from Hizbullah; funds that belonged to the Hamas and the Islamic Jihad; and bank accounts belonging to terrorist activists in the territories, senior terrorist leaders, fugitives and their families. Security officials said at the time, that aside from annual funds transferred by Hizbullah to terror groups, Hizbullah also sent added bonuses to terror cells responsible for launching deadly attacks in Israel.

The army said on Tuesday that in 2007 a Hamas financing operation was discovered in Jerusalem that had transferred close to NIS 12 million  to terror organizations, and noted that of that sum NIS8 million was given to Hamas cells in the West Bank. In December, 2005 – The "Abu Akar" Company from Gaza was declared illegal by the Defense Ministry. In February 2004, NIS 37 million were confiscated in Ramallah banks.02/12/08

Margot Dudkevitch

Infolive.tv