1. INCIDENT REPORT: JaFaJ has received reports that a Hamas militant from the Investigation Bureau, has abducted and kidnapped Khalil Serdah, the manager of Palestine Bank in Al Nuseirat Camp. [COMMENT: Al Nuseirat is a Palestinian refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, within the Deir al-Balah Governorate. Before the conflict erupted on October 8, 2024, the camp housed over 100,000 residents. END COMMENT]
2. MOTIVATION: JaFaJ has confirmed through local sources that the bank manager was taken from his office on August 20, 2024 at around noon. To gain entrance, the militant assaulted the manager in front of his staff, and informed them that their manager was being taken to the Deir al-Balah police station, where he would be detained.
3. OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT: JaFaJ has confirmed that Hamas abducted Mr. Serdah due to his role in directing donation funds received by his bank to needy families and individuals in Gaza, rather than handing the money over to Hamas. This is a clear sign that Hamas has been (and will continue to) aggressively enforce its control over aid and charitable funds intended for Gazans. A direct result of this has been the shooting and killing of dozens of Palestinians by Hamas for accessing food and aid during the conflict.
4. BACKGROUND: The Deir al-Balah Governorate, positioned along the Mediterranean coast of the Gaza Strip, is one of the five administrative divisions within Gaza. Its administrative hub is the city of Deir al-Balah. The governorate’s economy is largely driven by agriculture, particularly date palm cultivation. The population includes both long-term residents and refugees who settled in the area post-1948 Arab-Israeli conflict.
5. The Deir al-Balah police station, located within this governorate, is a critical site within the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It has been repeatedly targeted in military operations, often as part of broader actions against militant groups like Hamas. The station plays a key role in local governance and law enforcement, making it a strategic asset and a symbol of the broader conflict dynamics in the region.