Spectacular Burglary of Bank Vaults in Gaza. 66 Million Euros Were Embezzled Last Month

A document sent by the Bank of Palestine to “international partners” describes spectacular thefts, including one that took place in its main agency in Gaza City, the French newspaper writes.

According to the document, on the morning of April 16, employees of the main Gaza branch of the Bank of Palestine noticed a hole made in the ceiling of the safe room. A few hours earlier, an unidentified armed group had entered there and seized “the equivalent of 2.8 million euros in Israeli shekels,” the document, drawn up four days later, said.

Then, “the next morning, on April 17, armed groups equipped with explosives” returned to the building to blow up the cement cover poured in the meantime to protect the rest of the money and opened three safes from which they stole “the equivalent of 29 million euros in various currencies”.

Finally, on April 18, armed men claiming to be “from the highest authorities in Gaza,” meaning from Hamas, attacked a second branch, located in central Gaza City, and left “with the equivalent of of 33.6 million euros in Israeli shekels”.

According to Le Monde, the Israeli army also took “a significant amount of money belonging” to the Bank of Palestine. Citing reports from the Israeli press, the French newspaper writes that the amount in question, worth tens of millions of dollars, would have been confiscated in February to prevent it from falling into the hands of Hamas.

The French newspaper also writes that, because of the war, the Bank of Palestine is no longer able to keep its cash safe, and the residents of Gaza have difficulties in carrying out banking operations.

“Only two ATMs still work, in Rafah and Deir Al-Balah (south), when they have electricity,” claims Le Monde.

In addition, adds the French newspaper, “masked armed men threaten customers in front of ATMs, demanding a percentage of their withdrawals.” Le Monde presents as evidence the testimonies of some residents of Gaza, corroborated with recordings from surveillance cameras.

Founded in 1960, the Bank of Palestine is the main financial institution in Gaza.

Follow us on Google News