The chocolate funding scheme is said to have been pinpointed by Israeli investigators who had flagged so-called “suspicious” imports of food that had a final destination of Gaza. Officials have speculated that the food operations are part of a larger, broad funding network.
Israeli security officials have placed chocolate on the no-go list for Gazans with a sweet tooth after investigators determined that chocolate bars bound for the Gaza Strip had been part of a networking scheme to fund the Hamas group.
Citing the Israeli Ministry of Defense, the Times of Israel reported that investigators had been working off of intelligence that was issued by investigators and the ministry’s National Bureau for Counterterror Financing.
The 23 tons of crispy chocolate bars are said to have been imported by the al-Mutahidun Currency Exchange and the Arab al-Sin, two Gaza-affiliated companies that function under the Shamlakh family and are deemed terror organizations by the Israeli state. The Israel Defense Forces had previously accused the Shamlakhs of having funneled millions of dollars to back the Hamas group.
“We will continue to hunt down networks that fund terror, no matter what method they choose.”
Israeli investigators are working under the belief that Hamas officials are branching out into the imports sector in order to clamp down on alternative means in which to gain new funding for operations.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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