Israeli military forces conducted raids on foreign exchange and money transfer agencies in Ramallah and other West Bank cities, aiming to seize millions of dollars suspected of financing the Islamist group Hamas. The military reported at least one fatality and 14 injuries during clashes between Israeli troops and Palestinians in Ramallah.
The operation involved police, army, and Shin Bet security personnel, resulting in 21 arrests across Ramallah, Tulkarm, Jenin, and Hebron. The Israeli military statement mentioned the discovery of terrorist funds and the confiscation of tens of millions of shekels, safes, documents, recording systems, and phones.
The raids extended beyond financial service providers to include cryptographic currencies, with a specialized cyber crimes unit participating in the investigation. Clashes erupted in various locations, prompting Israeli soldiers to open fire in response to explosives, petrol bombs, and rocks thrown at them.
Israeli security forces intensified West Bank raids following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas in southern Israel and the ongoing Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip. Hamas and other militant groups, such as Islamic Jihad, have reportedly gained support and funding in the West Bank, leading to increased tensions.
The United Nations Office for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported a “rapid deterioration” of human rights in the West Bank, citing thousands of Palestinians arrested and hundreds killed in clashes since Oct. 7. The OHCHR documented mass arbitrary detentions, unlawful detentions, and reported cases of torture and ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees.
In response, a spokesperson for the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office dismissed the OHCHR report as “ridiculous” and “outrageous,” emphasizing Israel’s security threat in the West Bank. The region had already experienced heightened unrest in the 18 months preceding the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, with U.S.-brokered peace talks collapsing nearly a decade ago.
