RAMALLAH, WEST BANK - Israeli security forces seized millions of dollars from four Palestinian banks in a series of raids Wednesday, claiming the money was funding militants.
Seventeen Palestinians were reported injured as Israeli soldiers fired tear gas and rubber-coated steel pellets to disperse dozens of stone throwers during the raids. Three Palestinians were said to be in critical condition.
The army cordoned off the downtown area and declared a curfew as army jeeps and trucks blocked off the main roads in Ramallah.
"The purpose of this operation is to impair the funnelling of funds, which oil the wheels of terror against Israel," an Israeli army statement said.
Israeli forces checked several hundred bank accounts believed to belong to the Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Security sources claim much of the money came from Hezbollah, Iran and Syria.
One Israeli official said forces were looking for evidence linking Palestinian President Yasser Arafat to the funding of terror attacks.
On Tuesday, the chair of the Israeli parliament's security committee said Hezbollah was paying bonuses of several hundred dollars to Palestinian suicide bombers.
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