Israel cuts off ‘oxygen supply’ to Hamas, seizes cryptocurrency

For the third time in a year, Defense Minister Gantz signed a seizure order for cryptocurrency intended to assist Hamas.

By World Israel News Staff

Defense Minister Benny Gantz signed a seizure order for cryptocurrency amounting to tens of thousands of shekels from 12 digital accounts, his media spokesperson announced Monday.

This includes about 30 digital wallets belonging to businesses that assisted the Al’matchadun currency exchange company owned by the Shamlach family and designated as a terror organization.

The Shamlach family owned a portion of the seized cryptocurrency.

Through the currency exchange companies it owns, the family assists the Hamas terror organization, particularly its military arm, by transferring tens of millions of dollars per year. As such, the companies were designated terror organizations.

The cryptocurrency was confiscated in a joint operation of the National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing in Israel (NBCTF), the national cyber unit of Lahav 433, and the IDF’s Intelligence Division.

“We continue to expand the tools to cope with terror and the companies that support it,” Gantz stated.

“I commend the organizations involved for their intelligence, operational, and legal cooperation. “We are taking all the possible measures to cut off the economic ‘oxygen supply’ to terror organizations.”