Ramallah, May 27 (IANS) Israeli forces carried out a large-scale operation on Tuesday targeting money exchange companies in the West Bank, in what Israeli media described as part of a campaign to disrupt financial networks allegedly linked to Palestinian factions.
According to Palestinian sources, the raids took place in Ramallah, Nablus, Hebron, Tubas, Tulkarm, Jenin, Bethlehem, and Qalqilya, during which Israeli forces raid the offices of money exchange companies, arrested several shop owners, and confiscated millions of shekels.
In Nablus, 32-year-old Mahmoud al-Kharaz died after being shot in the neck by Israeli forces, the Ramallah-based Palestinian Health Ministry said.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said in a press statement that nine people were injured by bullets, and more than 15 others suffered from tear gas inhalation during the raid on Nablus.
The Israeli military did not issue an official comment on the raids, Xinhua news agency reported.
However, Israeli radio Kan reported the Israeli operation across the West Bank against the financing of “terrorism”.
Israel has accused money exchange shops of facilitating the transfer of funds to Palestinian factions, including Hamas, an allegation denied by business owners, who insist they comply with financial regulations.
In a separate incident in Jericho, 20-year-old Mohammed Jalaytah was fatally shot by Israeli army during a raid on the al-Arab neighbourhood, according to Palestinian medical sources.
Eyewitnesses told Xinhua that the Israeli army stormed the neighbourhood at dawn, raided several homes, and fired live ammunition and sound bombs.
Meanwhile, Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah) declared a general strike in the Jericho area in a statement mourning Jalaytah’s death.
The Israeli army has not commented on this incident yet.
The development coincided with settler attacks on agricultural land and the establishment of a new settlement outpost east of Ramallah, fueling tensions in the area and raising concerns that Israel is seeking to expand its control over the West Bank.
The raids on foreign exchanges came as Israel continued its intensified military campaign in Gaza, killing more than 54,000 Palestinians since the war began on October 7, 2023, as tens of thousands of people starve in the besieged enclave.
Israeli Army Radio on Tuesday said Israel conducted the raids on foreign exchanges on suspicions that the shops supported “terrorism”. The radio station also said the operation resulted in the confiscation of large amounts of money designated for “terrorism infrastructure” in the West Bank.
–IANS
int/khz