IAF ATTACKS HAMAS MONEY LAUNDERER IN GAZA

Bottom of photograph: US Dollars

The picture above shows what is the result of an aerial attack upon a senior Hamas financial official that Israel has identified as Muhammad Al-Aoul, who is believed to be one of that terrorist organization's money launderers and cash couriers. While his automobile is charred, you can easily see the rain of US Dollars flowing out of the car at the bottom of the photograph. The Israeli Air Force may have ended his life, but the evidence of his sordid occupation remains for all to see. His remains are obscured from view, but it appears that he must have been literally swimming in money.

After 49 days of fighting, exactly where is Hamas getting its resupply of greenbacks ? We know for a fact that Qatar, unable to use the usual pipeline afforded by the Arab Bank (now fighting for its financial life in US District Court in NY), and the tunnels from Sinai having been destroyed by the Egyptians, has resorted to unusual tactics. We know that it has used charitable, humanitarian and medical relief teams coming into Gaza, and employed them as covert delivery agents.

However, one must assume by now that Israeli intelligence has uncovered most, or all, of these routes. What will Qatar do now ? Probably find some unsuspecting bank to transfer dollars to what appears to be an uninvolved third party, who will itself have a new method of delivery.

If you have clients who are doing business with customers who are sending funds from, or through banks in Qatar, I would take a real hard look at those transactions, lest you end up sending dollars to the surviving Hamas money launderers, and being identified from documents found by some Israeli infantryman searching the corpse of a Hamas officer next month. Dealing with Qatar in 2014, when you know that it is Hamas' paymaster, is high risk, by definition.