Armed groups of Palestinians, one of whom is said to be close to Hamas, robbed last month million euros from the safes of several banks in Gaza, according to today’s publication of the French newspaper Le Monde.
The paper obtained access to a document sent by the Bank of Palestine to its “certain international partners” detailing the burglaries, one of which took place at its main branch in Gaza City.
On April 16, officials “found that someone had cut a hole in the ceiling of the hall of the safes,” the newspaper explains, clarifying that the perpetrators took cassettes with banknotes containing Israeli shekels worth the equivalent of 2.8 million euros. On the morning of the next day, April 17, “armed groups”, equipped with explosives, again went to the building to blow up the concrete frame that had been built the day before to protect the money. I opened three safes and they took various banknotes, with a total value of 29 million euros.
On April 18, the second branch, the most important one in the center of the city, was attacked by a group of men who said they belonged to “the highest authorities in Gaza” – a term referring to Hamas, according to Le Monde. The perpetrators fled after taking €33.6 million in Israeli shekels.
According to the newspaper’s information, the Israeli army “confiscated (in Gaza) a significant amount of money” belonging to the Bank. Le Monde cites Israeli media as saying in February that money amounting to “several tens of millions of dollars” was seized to keep it out of Hamas’ hands.
The report also describes the difficulties faced by the Bank of Palestine, because of the war, to protect her money but also how difficult it is for residents to have access to cash. Only two ATMs still work, in Rafah and Deir Al-Balakh, when there is electricity,” the newspaper underlines.
Moreover, according to the testimonies of Gazans, confirmed by the security videos, armed masked men stand next to the ATMs and demand a percentage
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