TEL AVIV/GAZA (dpa-AFX) – The Israeli army confiscated the equivalent of around 1.2 million euros in the war with the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip. An Israeli Defense Ministry spokeswoman said on Sunday that the cash in Israeli currency (shekels) was found “in Hamas bases and in the homes of wanted people where Hamas was active.” In addition, Iraqi and Jordanian money and US dollars were confiscated. The amounts should now be paid into the Israeli treasury.
Israel accuses Hamas of using the money to finance its terrorist activities. The spokeswoman was initially unable to say what purpose the funding would serve Israel.
A week ago, the Finance Committee of the Israeli Parliament approved a budget of 1.15 billion shekels (281 million euros) for the reconstruction of the Israeli border towns destroyed on October 7th.
The latest Gaza war was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel’s history, which terrorists from the Gaza Strip committed in Israel near the border on October 7th. More than 1,200 people were killed. Around 240 hostages were taken to Gaza. Israel responded with massive airstrikes, a blockade of the Gaza Strip and began a ground offensive in late October. According to the Islamist Hamas, almost 15,000 people were killed. The north of the Gaza Strip in particular has been largely destroyed./le/DP/men