PA crackdown has Hamas reducing cash transfers to West Bank

By Avi Issacharoff

Hamas has dramatically reduced its money transfers to various charitable organizations in the West Bank formerly linked to the group, as the Palestinian Authority continues to assert its control over those organizations.

Hamas had used the charities to transfer money to its operatives in the West Bank and to strengthen its standing among the Palestinian public. Since the beginning of this year, the PA has systematically installed new managements at the charities, which then transferred the organizations' assets to the PA itself.

In addition, the PA has appointed religious leaders affiliated with the Ramallah government to the Waqf Islamic religious trust, which was previously run by clerics identified with the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas' parent movement. This leadership change has forced Hamas to stem the flow of money to the charities it once funded.

The global economic downturn has also slowed the money flow, as major donors in the Persian Gulf have transferred smaller amounts into Hamas' coffers. Tighter Israeli supervision of the charities and more familiarity with Hamas' money-laundering techniques also played a role in the reduction.

In addition, Palestinian security services recently seized several million shekels destined for Hamas-affiliated social services organizations.

Source: Haaretz