As Israeli military and intelligence officers fan out across the West Bank searching for the three kidnapped Israeli teens (one is a dual U.S. citizen), they are targeting not only known Hamas militant operatives but also the movement’s political, social, and financial institutions. These arrests and raids are aimed not only at uncovering intelligence on the perpetrators of the kidnapping and location of the three boys, but also at uprooting the financial and civilian infrastructure that the movement has worked long and hard to rebuild in the West Bank.

In fact, Israel has been quietly targeting Hamas’s financial infrastructure for some time now as part of Operation Biur Hametz. (The name refers to the pre-Passover custom of burning any leftover bread before the onset of the holiday.) Much of Israel’s focus the past few months has been on Hamas’s financing from abroad, but the kidnappings have thrust this campaign into full throttle.

Hamas’s European Finance Network

Seven days into the search for the kidnapped boys, the Israeli Defense Ministry banned the UK-based charity Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW), accusing the organization of serving as “one of the sources of Hamas’s funding and a means for raising funds from various countries in the world.” Several IRW chapters, including those in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, were run by Hamas members, according to a statement.

In December, Israel designated 12 individuals and 3 institutions, all operating out of Europe, as unlawful terrorist entities. According to the Ministry of Defense, the banned parties comprised a “Hamas HQ in Europe” and effectively functioned as “Hamas’s office in Europe.” In its annual terrorist report, the State Department noted that the action—which marked the first time Israel singled out individuals as well as organizations—was based on the entities’ involvement in “fundraising, radicalization, recruitment, or incitement.”

According to Israeli officials, Hamas invests significant energy into its fundraising and lobbying efforts in Europe and sees the region as an important arena to further is strategic goals: fundraising for Hamas activities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip under the guise of front organizations and lobbying for the repeal of the European Union’s designation of Hamas as a terrorist group. (This would allow Hamas to facilitate more open fundraising and support for Hamas in Europe. Hamas has appealed the EU designation before the European Court of Justice in Case T-400/10).

Read the article in full at the New Republic.