During the night (on Tuesday), a combined police operation was conducted, targeting the financial assets of 18 security prisoners, either in the past or currently, in East Jerusalem, who were involved in acts of terrorism and received financial support in exchange, from the Palestinian Authority.
The operation was carried out in their homes in the neighborhoods of East Jerusalem and in the Old City. The officers seized tens of thousands of shekels in cash and property from the suspects' homes, seized bank accounts, and apprehended 13 vehicles intended for confiscation. Additionally, items of clothing belonging to a terrorist organization were found, and three suspects were arrested during the operation.
Regarding the operation, the Jerusalem District Commander stated, "The cost of terrorist activity is also economic and will lead to a significant impact on both their surroundings and the well-being of these terrorists and their families."
This operation is part of the ongoing and determined struggle by the Israel Police, the Shin Bet, and the security forces against terrorism, its operators, and its financiers. The activity in East Jerusalem last night was carried out by the central unit of the Jerusalem District Police, under the orders of the Minister of Defense to seize funds received as support for carrying out terrorist acts.
Approximately 100 policemen, including Jerusalem District detectives, Border Police troops, Jerusalem District police officers, and representatives from the Shin Bet, the Ministry of Defense, and the Ministry of Justice, took part in the operation. They searched the homes of 18 security prisoners who were involved in terrorist activities in the past or the present.
The police officers located and seized in the operation 214,058 shekels, 1,830 dollars, and 320 dinars in cash, as well as jewelry and gold. Additionally, 13 vehicles worth hundreds of thousands of shekels each were seized in this operation. Furthermore, clothing items of Hamas terrorist organization were found in the suspects' homes, along with a set of brass knuckles and incitement materials, and one suspect was arrested for possessing these items. During the operation, two more suspects were arrested for assaulting police officers.
Furthermore, they seized a significant amount of money from the bank accounts of those individuals, and additional funds are expected to be confiscated from them. All the money and property given to those involved in past terrorist activities and their family members from the Palestinian Authority as support for terrorist activities, intended for use in funding them, were seized by the Jerusalem District Police.
Among the security prisoners involved in security offenses and currently residing in the houses where the operation was carried out, are terrorists who have carried out acts of terror against security forces and civilians over the years, and they are serving long-term sentences as security prisoners.
Among the targets were terrorists, suspects who had planned to carry out a shooting attack in a hall in Har Nof in the past decade, and individuals involved in activities related to the murderous terrorist organization Hamas in recent years.
Jerusalem District Commander, Brigadier General Doron Turjeman, addressed the operation and said, "This is an important operational and moral activity as part of our ongoing fight against terrorism and the economic pipelines that feed and encourage terror and terrorists. This activity conveys an important message that our struggle against terrorists or terrorism doesn't end with the arrest or neutralization of terrorists, their imprisonment, or bringing them to justice.
"The price of terror activity is also economic, and it will lead to significant harm to the well-being and prosperity of these terrorists and their families. We will continue to act with our partners using all the tools and means against terrorism and suspects in terror offenses, including economic sanctions and freezing of funds and assets intended for funding terror activity, to safeguard the security of the state and its residents."