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Shabak (Israel Security Agency), the IDF, and Israel Police recently discovered a money trail used to transfer funds from Hamas in Turkey and Gaza to Hamas representatives in Hevron.

The money pipeline began functioning at the beginning of 2016, at the initiative of senior Hamas representative Mahmoud Maher Bader, who found two emissaries - Hamas terrorist in Hevron Mutsav Hashlaman, who was sent to Turkey on a "business trip," and Hevron resident Taha Ottaman.

Bader lives in Hevron and is a member of Hamas' legislative committee.

Mutsav was asked to transfer terror money from Turkey to Hevron, to fund the activities of Hamas' Hevron office, especially the organization's legislative branch. He was also asked to transfer money for Hamas terrorists who were released from prison.

Hashlaman and his brother Yousssari, together with Oumer Keimari, were in contact at the same time with Majjed Jaebba, a Hamas terrorist from Gaza who was released in the 2011 "Shalit deal." Jaebba, too, is from Hevron, and he helped the team transfer money from Turkey.

During their time in Turkey, Mutsav and Ottaman met several times with a Hamas official named Haaron Nasser Aldein. Aldein, like Jaebba, is from Hevron and was released in the Shalit deal.

In exchange for commission, Haaron gave dozens of thousands of dollars to the emissaries, who bought merchandise with it, imported the merchandise to Hevron via international delivery companies, and sold it to provide money for Hamas terrorists in Hevron. Haaron also told the emissaries how and where to find Hamas terrorists and offer them money from the organization's headquarters.

Investigators found that this "money pipeline" had transferred nearly $200,000, and that Hamas was planning to build a cement factory in order to disguise the money as legitimate.

The suspects' interrogations were recently completed, and Israel's military court is expected to submit an indictment against them in the coming weeks.

Shabak emphasized that the discovery of this infrastructure shows how Hamas' motivation in Gaza, Turkey, and Judea and Samaria is unwavering.

"Hamas representatives in Gaza and abroad recruit emissaries who live in Judea and Samaria and travel abroad and who will transfer terror money and messages to those on the field," they explained. "Several times, Hamas uses family members abroad, or requests the favor from merchants or businessmen. Most of these recruits pay a personal and professional price for these actions."

"Shabak, the IDF, and Israel Police will continue working to expose and foil all terror directed by Hamas in Gaza and abroad."

In the Shalit deal, IDF soldier Gilad Shalit was release in exchange for 1,027 convicted terrorists. Many of these terrorists were rearrested within a few weeks of their release, and others continued on to murder and maim additional Israelis.