Israel arrests 21 in suspected multimillion-shekel Gaza war fraud scheme

Israeli police and military authorities have arrested 21 individuals, including civilian contractors and career military officers, in connection with a multimillion-shekel fraud and bribery scheme. The investigation focuses on the exploitation of state funds allocated for engineering and construction work in the Gaza Strip during the ongoing war.

Investigators suspect that the group manipulated invoices, fuel usage, and payments for services that were either never performed or only partially completed. The scheme allegedly involved using civilian machinery for military engineering tasks while fraudulently obtaining funds through money laundering and bribery. Five of the detainees are military officers suspected of acting as intermediaries between the military and contracting firms.

The coordinated operation involved the Israel Police's Lahav 433 division, the Military Police, and the Israel Tax Authority. The civilian suspects are expected to appear before the Beersheba Magistrate's Court, while the military personnel will face proceedings at the military court in Camp Beit Lid.