The Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) updated an alert first issued in February warning financial institutions of Israeli extremists fomenting violence in the West Bank.

The alert, issued Thursday, adds additional red flags to “assist U.S. financial institutions in identifying and reporting suspicious activity that finances West Bank violence,” FinCEN said in a press release.

In a concurrent action, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the U.S. Department of State sanctioned and designated individuals and entities linked to the violence, including four farms in the West Bank.

In February, FinCEN issued its initial alert regarding the violence, with OFAC sanctions against entities and individuals funding the unrest following in April.

In the updated alert, FinCEN identified additional red flags for financial institutions to watch for, including:

  • Payments involving entities, individuals, addresses on accounts, receiving addresses, or IP addresses linked to any West Bank “outpost.”
  • References or payments to accounts held in the name of Israeli violent extremist settler groups or individuals involved or implicated in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, including references or payments to accounts held by known immediate family members of designated individuals.
  • References or payments to accounts or webpages that are fundraising for convicted, imprisoned, or U.S.-sanctioned violent extremists who targeted Palestinians in the West Bank.
  • Accounts that share a merchant representative, email, phone number, social media page, or physical address with accounts held in the name of designated individuals or entities.
  • Payments to beneficiaries, accounts, or crowdfunding campaigns linked to social media indicating support for violence in the West Bank, including pictures and videos, support for violence targeting Palestinians in the West Bank, or references to known or designated Israeli settler violent extremists, outposts, herding farms, or groups.

Certain farm settlers have allegedly prevented access to pasturage and water sources, destroyed crops, approached houses and threatened Palestinian residents, and disturbed the peace in the area, according to the State Department. Additionally, certain designated individuals have allegedly blocked humanitarian aid convoys traveling towards the Gaza Strip.

Jeff Dale is Managing Editor, Editorial Projects and Analytics, at Compliance Week. He previously served as Compliance Week's Digital Editor and has worked as a copy editor at the Boston Herald and city editor at The Hour Publishing Co. in Norwalk, Conn.View full Profile

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