Israeli occupation troops Tuesday night stormed, vandalized and partially destroyed several banks and financial institutions in several Palestinian towns, stealing millions of dollars, Palestinian security sources said.
The sources said Israeli soldiers, using explosives, blasted the outer doors of many money-changer offices before smashing computers and furniture and stealing large amounts of cash. In Nablus, soldiers stormed the Ahli Bank, causing widespread havoc. Moreover, six money-changer premises were raided shortly after midnight after their metal doors were blasted using explosives.
One money-changer who identified himself as Nidal Masri said the Israeli army stole from him more than a hundred thousand US dollars.
Another money changer, Muhammed Assar, from Jenin, in the northern West Bank , said troops stole more than $254,000 from his shop.
Similar raids reportedly took place in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Ramallah where financial institutions were broken into and large amounts of cash were stolen by soldiers.
The Israeli media quoted an army officer as saying that the targeted institutions may have been involved in bringing money from outside Palestine in violation of a hermetic Israeli financial blockade on the Palestinian Authority.
