Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Monday they found a large stash of funds in a Hamas official’s house in Gaza, a photo they shared on Twitter appeared to show.
“You are looking at 5,000,000 NIS [New Israeli Shekel], which is roughly over $1,000,000,” ran the IDF post accompanying the tweeted photo. “These funds — found inside a senior Hamas terrorist’s residence — were designated for terrorist activity. What could this money have been used for? Provisions of clean water, electricity and fuel for the residents of Gaza.”
The photo appeared to show an open suitcase containing wads of NIS and another suitcase similarly filled in what appeared to be the interior of a residence.
The IDF’s Multidomain Unit, also known as the Ghost Unit, made the seizure, according to the IDF, the Times of Israel reported.
The alleged seizure came less than 24 hours after scenes captured by The Associated Press (AP) appeared to show Palestinians chasing after and then rapidly emptying trucks carrying humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Some 1.9 million Palestinians — nearly 85% of Gaza’s population — have been displaced since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, with many of them living in crowded temporary shelters, The AP reported. (RELATED: Deep-Pocketed Liberal Nonprofit Is Propping Up Pro-Hamas Activists)
You are looking at 5,000,000 NIS, which is roughly over $1,000,000.
These funds—found inside a senior Hamas terrorist’s residence— were designated for terrorist activity.
What could this money have been used for? Provisions of clean water, electricity and fuel for the… pic.twitter.com/kQFvg4v2ip
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) December 18, 2023
Israeli security agents discovered ledgers in a senior Hamas official’s computer back in 2018, naming Hamas-controlled business assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars in Sudan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Algeria and Turkey, The New York Times reported. Although the agents reportedly shared the intelligence with Tel Aviv and Washington, no action was reportedly taken to throttle the flow. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly also had encouraged Qatar to send money to Gaza in the hope that the move would bring about peace and security.
“I can tell you for sure that I talked to [Netanyahu] about [the Hamas portfolio],” Udi Levy, a former chief of Mossad’s economic warfare division, said, according to The New York Times. “But he didn’t care that much about it.”
Israel and the US believe that the millions helped fuel the Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel, the outlet reported.