An Israeli Arab who transferred thousands of shekels to Hamas was arrested last month, the Israel Police and Israel Security Agency (ISA or Shin Bet) announced Tuesday. 

Kafr Kana dentist Mubarak Malik Jamil Khatib transferred large sums of money from Hamas in Gaza to Hamas in the Palestinian Authority (PA), according to intelligence sources.

He was arrested while on his way to transfer funds to Hamas officials in Ramallah, while in possession of 170 thousand shekels ($43,380).

The Shin Bet noted that a few weeks before his arrest, Khatib was warned by security officials from carrying out the transaction, which is prohibited by law and undermines national security.

During interrogation, Khatib admitted to the Shin Bet that he had been ferrying the money back and forth on Hamas’s behalf, as the terrorists involved are banned from entering Israel. He was paid on a daily basis for the service. 

The Shin Bet stated, “this illustrates the relentless efforts of Hamas to transfer large sums of money, which are intended to promote the organization’s activities in Judea and Samaria.”

An indictment was submitted Tuesday morning to the Nazareth District Court, charging Khatib for unauthorized contact with a foreign agent, transferring money for terrorism purposes, transporting illegal aliens, and fraud.