21 arrested, including IDF personnel and contractors; suspected of millions of shekels in fraud tied to Gaza operations
The investigation was conducted covertly, for months, before the arrests. Police said the authorities involved “will act until the truth is uncovered and the full extent of the law is applied”
Twenty-one suspects were arrested Tuesday morning on suspicion of financial fraud amounting to millions of shekels in connection with operations in Gaza. According to the Israel Police Spokesperson’s Unit, the suspects include representatives of construction contracting firms and permanent-service IDF personnel.
The arrests were made as part of an investigation led by the Southern Division of Lahav 433 as part of a coordinated, large-scale operation across the country.
According to police, the investigation centers on suspected offenses including obtaining property by deception, money laundering and bribery, among others. Investigators said the case is connected to the IDF’s use of civilian companies during the war in Gaza.
Following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in 2023, the IDF commenced intensive combat operations in the Gaza Strip. Police said that due to the escalation of the conflict, the military required heavy engineering equipment from civilian companies to support ongoing operations.
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They say the covert investigation had been underway for the past few months.
All of those arrested have been taken to Lahav 433 for questioning. They will be brought before the Be’er Sheva Magistrate’s Court and the Military Court at Beit Lid for hearings on the extension of their detention.
“The Israel Police, the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division, and the Tax Authority will act until the truth is uncovered and the full extent of the law is applied,” the Police Spokesperson’s Unit said.