In a bold economic initiative aimed at crippling Hamas’ financial infrastructure in Gaza, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has formally urged Bank of Israel Governor Prof. Amir Yaron to take unprecedented action: remove the legal tender designation from specific 200 Shekel banknotes.
This dramatic proposal is part of a wider strategy to disrupt Hamas’ access to liquid funds, which Sa’ar said forms the core of its operational strength in the region. He noted that billions of shekels in physical cash fuel Hamas’ activities in Gaza.
Sa’ar emphasized that these particular bills are frequently used by Hamas to pay salaries to its operatives and to enforce financial control over the local economy by extracting “taxes” from business owners. He cited data gathered by a team of voluntary financial experts who determined that roughly 80% of the cash circulating in Gaza consists of 200 shekel notes.
“Denying the financing capacity of terrorist organizations in general and Hamas, in particular, is a vital pillar of the war effort,” Sa’ar stated in his letter.
He went on to argue that withdrawing a certain series of 200 shekel bills—especially those that were funneled into Gaza in recent years—could deliver a “strategic economic blow” to Hamas, severely impairing its administrative capabilities and its ability to recruit members.
{Matzav.com}