Hamas-linked armed robbers steal $70 million from Bank of Palestine – report
In a document released by The Bank of Palestine, the stolen funds were sent to ‘certain international partners.’
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
Several Gazan branches of the Bank of Palestine were broken into and robbed of $70 million by suspects linked to Hamas, Le Monde reported on Saturday.
In a document released by The Bank of Palestine, the stolen funds were sent to “certain international partners.”
On April 16, bank workers noticed a hole in the ceiling of the safe deposit room only to discover that $3 million in Israeli shekels was missing.
The next day, armed robbers returned to the location with explosives and, after destroying a protective chamber, took $30 million in various currencies.
On April 19, commandos who claimed to answer to “Gaza’s highest authorities,’ meaning Hamas, stole $36 million.
The Bank of Palestine was founded in the 1960s and is Gaza’s main financial institution.
The Palestinian Monetary Authority said it was planning to issue a statement on Saturday.
In addition to the bank robberies, a number of Gazans have claimed that Hamas is stealing aid intended for civilians.
When the soldier was telling Gazan civilians where to evacuate and seek supplies during a military campaign, a Palestinian man voluntarily came up and told him the true situation of the UNWRA (The United Nations Relief and Works Agency)–that it is under the direct control of Hamas which is stealing the humanitarian aid.
He said in a recording, “The situation is terrible because the humanitarian people, those responsible for the humanitarian aid, are thieves.”
“Hamas has their hands on UNRWA administration workers, and it manages UNRWA,” he explained. “From the day they [Hamas] rose to power they took control of everything.”
He also described how Hamas keeps the lion’s share of the humanitarian aid for their own terrorist leaders and forces when they were supposed to distribute the supplies to civilians.
In addition, Israel intercepted conversations between Hamas officials during which they described stealing fuel from Gaza hospitals.
The deputy Hamas commander, who is at the hospital with Al Kahlout, wants fuel, but there seems to be some sticking point. He then apparently calls his superior, the Hamas commander, to clear things up.
The commander, who repeatedly refers to fuel diverted from the hospital to the terror group, urges Al Kahlout to give the deputy commander fuel.
Al Kahlout says that a Finance Ministry official told him “last night” to give a Hamas operative 1,000 liters of fuel. “I said to him that they [the hospital] have 600 liters in the supply. He told me to fill up with 600 liters for them.”
To which the commander replies: “We’re all working as a government for the sake of the country,” adding, “For God’s sake, fill it up for him now, people are pressuring us.”
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