Israel’s Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, has signed administrative memorandums authorizing the seizure of funds paid to five high-ranking Hamas officials operating in Europe, totaling over $1 million, as reported by Israel Hayom newspaper.
This latest action is part of an ongoing campaign by Israel’s security establishment, in collaboration with the General Security Service and the Israeli Bureau for Combating Terrorist Financing. The objective is to disrupt the organizational infrastructure and financial resources of the Hamas movement within the European Union.
The memorandums state that these senior officials were involved in a foreign branch of Hamas, led by Khaled Meshaal, with the purpose of fundraising and garnering public support.
Israel claims that hundreds of thousands of dollars were transferred to these individuals to advance Hamas’ activities within the EU.
Israeli media has revealed that Hamas activists are residing in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, and Italy.
Over the past few years, Israeli security services have increased their monitoring of Hamas fund routes and transfers, including money sent to the movement in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and abroad.
Army intelligence has been monitoring Palestinian money exchangers in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip, successfully thwarting numerous money transfers.
Israel has closed accounts, seized assets in West Bank banks, eliminated a money exchanger in Gaza, shut down institutions, and started tracking the movement’s financial transfers from overseas.
Just a week ago, investigators in the Netherlands apprehended a man and his daughter on charges of illegally sending $5.4 million to Hamas in violation of EU sanctions, according to the public prosecution office.
The 55-year-old man and his 22-year-old daughter from Leidschendam near The Hague were arrested on June 22 for allegedly providing substantial financial support to Hamas.
During searches of their residences in Leidschendam, a business in Rotterdam, and a bank account holding approximately 750,000 euros, the investigators discovered the money.
The public prosecution office stated that the pair are suspected of transferring around 5.5 million euros ($6 million) to entities “associated with the sanctioned organization Hamas since 2003.”
The father and daughter “are also suspected of participating in a criminal organization whose purpose is to provide financial support to Hamas,” according to the prosecution statement. They remain in custody, and their names have not been released in compliance with Dutch privacy regulations.
Following the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, the European Union placed Hamas on its blacklist.
Israel closely collaborates with the United States and Europe to prosecute the sources of funding for the Hamas movement.