‘Cartoonishly evil’: Israel mocked for seizing chocolate bound for Gaza & claiming the bars fund Hamas (© Getty Images via AFP / Justin Sullivan)

Cairo, August 18 (RHC)--Israel has been accused of “acting like a cartoon villain” after it confiscated a shipment of chocolate bars headed for Gaza – alleging that these were part of a network financing Hamas operations.

Earlier this week, tax authority officials reportedly intercepted the 23-ton shipment as it passed from Egypt into Israel.  The confectionery was apparently being brought into Gaza by two import companies – al-Mutahidun Currency Exchange and Arab al-Sin – which, according to officials, are fronts for Hamas.  Both companies were designated as terrorist organizations by the Israel Money Laundering and Terror Financing Prohibition Authority.

In May, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intelligence is said to have discovered that the companies belong to a group headed by Gaza money-exchange businessman Zahir Younes Shmalach, who was apparently using them to “funnel tens of millions of dollars” from Iran to Hamas, the Jerusalem Post said.

“Israel will continue to act to prevent Hamas from growing stronger.  It is building up military force instead of taking care of the people of the [Gaza] Strip who are collapsing from the economic burden,” Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said in a statement after signing an executive order authorizing the seizure of the chocolate bars.

Social media users ridiculed the assertion that Hamas was being funded through the same avenues used by “little league baseball teams,” while another juxtaposed the Hamas flag with a banner of the Girls Scouts of the USA, which famously sells cookies and chocolate for funding.