Dozens of women and children, described as widows and orphans and likely the family of dead terrorists, protested on Thursday in a demonstration apparently organized by Hamas, in front of bank branches in Gaza to protest the decision of the Bank of Palestine to refuse money transfers to them from donors outside Gaza or the Palestinian Authority (PA).
The protesters accused the Bank of Palestine of closing the bank accounts of charities associated with transfers of funds from abroad. They carried placards which read, “No to the siege and losing my livelihood” and “We will not let Bank of Palestine to share in the empowerment of our suffering.”
The Al-Hayat newspaper reported that since Hamas took over Gaza, Palestinian and Arab banks in Gaza have refused to open bank accounts for charitable associations belonging to Hamas or other terrorist organizations.
Hamas has since launched two banks to facilitate its own local banking activities, but making money transfers with other banks is difficult.