East J’lem resident indicted for transferring funds for Hamas in Israel
The suspect transferred at least NIS 636,000 of Hamas funds over a number of months.
By TZVI JOFFREA Palestinian Hamas-hired civil servant displays U.S. Dollar banknotes after receiving her salary paid by Qatar, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip December 7, 2018.(photo credit: IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA/REUTERS)
A resident of east Jerusalem was indicted on Monday for contacting a member of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and transferring funds for the terrorist organization.Ayman A’awar, the main suspect in the case, collected donations from a number of women and distributed them to Hamas prisoners or their families and to the families of Hamas terrorists who died. Those who received money included the wife of a Hamas terrorist who carried out a shooting attack in 2010 and the father of a man suspected of attempting to assassinate former MK Yehuda Glick.The distributions were made by direction of Mohammed Muammar or “Abu Tzuhaib,” the Hamas member in Gaza who kept contact with A’awar. Some of the funds were also transferred to and from Abu Tzuhaib.The two knew each other from a WhatsApp group for charity that they were both part of for a number of years. For years, A’awar transferred money to families in need in the Gaza Strip and helped Gaza residents who were being treated in hospitals in east Jerusalem in order to transfer money through them to Gaza.After transferring money through patients became difficult, Abu Tzuhaib contacted A’awar and asked her to collect money within Israel and distribute it to people by his direction, while he would distribute money to families in need in the Gaza Strip according to her direction.A’awar and her contacts in Hamas and east Jerusalem would use the code word “Ma’amoul” when speaking so that when the funds were ready to be distributed, A’awar would say that “the Ma’amoul is ready.” A value of NIS 1,000 in funds was referred to as one kilogram of Ma’amouls.Overall, the suspect transferred at least NIS 636,000 of Hamas funds over a number of months.A’awar’s husband, Abedel Mun’em, managed and worked at a shop in the Silwan neighborhood of east Jerusalem near their home. He was also indicted for knowingly allowing the crimes to take place on his properties. A’awar and her husband would hide the money in a number of places in their home and the store.The prosecution asked the Jerusalem District Court to arrest the A’awars until the end of the legal process. Ayman is charged with contacting a foreign agent, operating with property that could assist, promote, finance or reward a terrorist offense and operating with the property of a terrorist organization or property related to a serious terrorist offense.Ayman faces up to 24 years in prison and/or up to NIS 4,520,000 in fines.
