Israeli forces raid exchange shops in West Bank
The Israeli army has raided several exchange shops in the occupied West Bank, according to videos verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad fact-checking agency. Footage showed simultaneous raids on exchanges in cities, including Nablus, Hebron, Ramallah, Tubas, Jenin, and Bethlehem.
Smoke bombs were fired in the centre of Jenin, and streets were closed in Tubas and Bethlehem.
The Israeli Army Radio reported that the raids were conducted due to suspicions that these shops supported “terrorism”. It added that the operation would result in the confiscation of large amounts of money that were designated for “terrorism infrastructure” in the West Bank.
Israeli army soldiers take positions outside a currency exchange shop in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, during a raid on May 27
More like IDF stealing money... Just like Israel withholds taxes from the PA.
Israeli raids on West Bank’s exchanges remind Palestinians who has ‘upper hand’
Israel is raiding several money transfer shops across the occupied West Bank. The Israeli army has released a statement saying these money transfer shops are used for funding what they call “terrorism”.
Of course, Palestinians would deny that. There’s no way, they say, that Israel can prove this money is being given or funnelled to Palestinian fighting groups in the West Bank.
“But this official said earlier that Israel ‘believes’ – not that it has any evidence or proof – but ‘believes’ that these cash exchange places are funneling money to what they call terror organisations,” said Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut, who has extensively reported from the West Bank.
“The people who own these shops say they were not given any sort of proof by the Israeli military,” she added. Salhut noted this was the fourth time that such raids have taken place since the start of the war on Gaza.
“The first time was in December of 2023, when five different cash exchange places were raided by the Israeli military and they seized nearly $3m,” she said. “It happened again in August 2024 and again in September of that same year.”
We should also remember that no matter how many fighting groups there are in the West Bank, they are still very small groups, very limited, and there has been a crackdown on them, specifically in Jenin and Tulkarem.
Palestinians will tell you this is the way that Israel reminds the community who has the upper hand, and who controls all aspects of their lives, including money.
Israeli violence in occupied West Bank ‘is not less serious’
Israeli forces have been raiding different cities like Hebron, Nablus, and Bethlehem.
These areas are part of Area A, according to the Oslo Accords that were signed between Israel and the Palestinian Authority back in the ’90s. But as Palestinians would tell you, Israel disregards the fact that the PA should be controlling Area A – the Israeli military raids the cities day in, day out.
Israeli forces have been raiding Tulkarem, Nur Shams, and Jenin refugee camps since mid-January. Today, we’re seeing a large-scale raid all across the occupied West Bank, injuring people.
People can be going to their schools, can be going to their work when they are suddenly surprised by Israeli military jeeps raiding them.
We’ve seen Israeli forces raiding Nablus, but before that, they sent undercover units to the city. So basically, they are disguised in Palestinian clothing, Palestinian cars, and then they catch people off guard before the raid starts, which leads to violent confrontations. Yesterday night, a young Palestinian boy was killed in Jericho.
Because of the scale of the relentless bombardment in Gaza, eyes turn there, but what’s happening in the West Bank is no less serious.
Israeli soldiers patrol in the Tulkarem camp for Palestinian refugees after an evacuation order was issued to the residents whose houses were scheduled to be demolished on May 26
Palestinian Foreign Ministry warns of ‘deliberate attempt’ to justify West Bank annexation
Israel is creating the impression of a flare-up in the occupied West Bank to justify its annexation, according to the Palestinian Foreign Ministry.
Its statement called for immediate action by the US and the international community to “halt the crimes of genocide, displacement, and annexation” and to compel Israel to abide by international law.
The ministry warned that failing to do so would have repercussions for the prospect of implementing a two-state solution and for the stability of the region.
