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The Shin Bet security agency has revealed that it has broken a Hamas money laundering ring that was using operatives in Turkey and Gaza to funnel money into Hebron.

Working with the Israeli Police, the Shin Bet arrested five Hamas members based in the West Bank city of Hebron, as well one operative in Gaza and one in Turkey.

In a statement, the Shin Bet said: “The discovery of this operation shows the never-ending desire by Hamas operatives in Turkey and Gaza to increase terrorism by Hamas in the West Bank.”

It added that Hamas “frequently mobilises relatives of the organisation’s operatives in the field, or is assisted by merchants and businessmen who pay a significant personal and business price for this activity”.

The security services say that the head of the money laundering operation was Muhammad Maher Bader, who is a senior figure for Hamas in Hebron, as well as member of the Palestinian Parliament.

Bader, who was arrested in June, allegedly used two couriers, Muasseb Hashalmon and Taha Uthman. The couriers would travel to Turkey and pickup tens of thousands of dollars from another Hamas operative, Haron Nasser al-Din (who was released from prison as part of the deal to free Gilad Shalit). The money collected in Turkey was then used to purchase commercial goods, which were subsequently shipped back to Hebron and sold.

Other operatives, Umar Qimri and Yusri Hashalmon, worked with Majd Jaaba, a Hamas member based in Gaza who was also freed as part of the Shalit deal, to facilitate deals in Turkey.

The scheme reportedly raised nearly three quarters of a million shekels (£160,000) for the terror group. The Shin Bet also revealed that a second money laundering scheme based in a Hebron cement factory had been discovered.

Military prosecutors are expected to file indictments against the five members of the money laundering scheme in the next few days.

Due to its designation as a terrorist group, Hamas faces sanctions from Israel that prevent it moving money in and out of the country freely.