Israeli companies suspected of funding Palestinian groups: report

Israeli police said Sunday that they had arrested workers and an executive at two Israeli companies suspected of assisting Palestinian groups of Hamas and Islamic Jihad (Holy War).

According to the statement released by the police administration, workers of Shintrako Ltd. and Mayan Customs Brokers and International Forwarding in the Tel Aviv suburb were arrested in the raid which involved police forces, Israel Tax Authority and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Services).

The general manager of Shintrako was also detained.

Shintraco Ltd., a company that deals with importing and advertising basic food items, is accused of intentionally working with the Palestinian importing company Abu Akkar, which is outlawed by Israeli Defense Ministry in December 2005 for providing financial aid to Hamas and Jihad members.

Mayan, a company dealing with customs, conspired to assist Abu Akkar in importing goods into the Gaza Strip.

Israeli police began the investigation on the two companies in 2006. They have reported an increase over the past year in the flow of clandestine finance to Palestinian militant groups squeezed by a financial blockade imposed by international donors since Hamas last year won parliamentary elections and control of the Palestinian government.

Source: Xinhua