This grave event underscores the abuse of Israel's readiness to meet the
humanitarian needs of the population of the Gaza Strip.
Attempts to Smuggle Terrorist Cash from the Gaza Strip into Judea and
Samaria Foiled
(Communicated by the ISA)

The following items – about the arrest of two residents of the Gaza Strip on
suspicion of involvement in smuggling cash for Hamas in Judea and Samaria –
have been cleared for publication:
_

Fayez Matzbah Muhammad Atar – born in 1951, a resident of Beit Lahiye in the
Gaza Strip, who holds a permit to enter Israel for commercial purposes – was
arrested in June 2016 at Tarkumiye crossing, in a joint ISA-Israel
Police-IDF operation, after it was learned that he was a courier for
terrorist funds for Hamas militants in Judea and Samaria.

Atar had been asked by Hamas militants to smuggle – through the various
crossings – funds for Hamas in Judea and Samaria. The cash was hidden in
shoes that he wore for this purpose. He thus managed, on several occasions,
to smuggle cash – amounting to tens of thousands of Euros – for various
Hamas militants in Judea and Samaria; he was fully aware that the money was
for Hamas.

ISA investigators learned that members of Atar's family were active in Hamas
including in operations against IDF forces and in digging tunnels. It was
learned that Atar's sons used his home for Hamas meetings.

The investigation revealed information about the openings of tunnels that
were located, for the most part, under civilian structures such as innocent
residences and mosques, as well as about launching points for rockets that
were located close to civilian structures , thus endangering the civilian
population in the Gaza Strip.
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Itallah Ali Abd Al-Karim Sirhan – born in 1979, a resident of Jebalya, who
holds a permit to enter Israel for commercial purposes – was arrested in
June 2016 at Erez crossing, in a joint ISA-Israel Police-IDF operation,
after he was caught trying to smuggle 10,000 Euros in his shoes, for Hamas
militants in Judea and Samaria.

ISA investigators learned that Sirhan, who received the above permit only
two weeks before his arrest, had been contacted on the day of his first
entry in Israel by a Hamas policeman, who worked on the Gaza Strip side of
Erez crossing, and who interested him in smuggling cash into Judea and
Samaria.

In addition to the smuggling attempt on the day of his arrest, it was
learned that on the day before his arrest, Sirhan had transferred hidden
cash for terrorists in Judea and Samaria.

Investigators discovered that Sirhan was fully aware that the money was for
a terrorist organization in Judea and Samaria.

In the framework of Sirhan's investigation, it became clear that he had
previously worked for several months as a truck driver for a company that
cleared away sand from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad tunnel excavation
sites. Through his work, Sirhan was exposed to many such tunnel excavation
sites. He divulged considerable information about openings of tunnel shafts
including their exact locations and conditions, and the terrorist
organizations responsible.

Beyond the considerable information that was obtained, this investigation
underscored the cynical way in which Hamas exploits the willingness of the
State of Israel to ease conditions for the civilian population in the Gaza
Strip by issuing commercial permits to enter Israel and uses permit holders
to advance its terrorist goals, thus deliberately harming the civilian
population in the Gaza Strip.

The State of Israel allows, on a monthly basis, the entry of thousands of
residents of the Gaza Strip for humanitarian medical and other needs. More
than once, terrorist elements have exploited these permit holders for
illegal purposes including the transfer of cash for terrorism.

This grave event underscores the abuse of Israel's readiness to meet the
humanitarian needs of the population of the Gaza Strip. The State of Israel
will work to thwart this activity and deal with offenders to the fullest
extent of the law.