Israel Charges Gaza World Vision Head with Diverting 'Millions to Hamas'
Israel on Thursday charged the Gaza director of the World Vision non-governmental organization with passing millions of dollars to the Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas and its armed wing.
Mohammed al-Halabi was alleged to have diverted $7.2 million (6.5 million euros) each year since 2010, with some of it funding the Gaza Strip rulers' military campaign against Israel, said the Shin Bet internal security agency.
Halabi, who was born in 1978, was arrested in June and indicted Thursday on a number of charges, including funding "terror."
The charge sheet said Hamas recruited him to infiltrate World Vision more than a decade ago, and that he rose to become the head of the U.S.-based Christian aid organization’s Gaza operation.
Shin Bet said there was no evidence World Vision's main office was aware of Halabi's actions.
World Vision said it had "no reason to believe" the allegations against Halabi, while Hamas said it had no relationship with him.
Since Halabi took over operations in 2010, roughly 60 percent of World Vision's annual budget in Gaza was diverted to Hamas, including its military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said Shin Bet.
This equated to $7.2 million per year, including about $1.5 million given in cash to Hamas combat units.
World Vision, which employs tens of thousands of people globally, said its programs were subject to "regular internal and independent audits, independent evaluations" to avoid aid misuse.
"Based on the information available to us at this time, we have no reason to believe that the allegations are true," it said in a statement.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri denied the "false accusations," telling AFP the movement had "no relationship" with Halabi.
- Aid groups squeezed -
World Vision works in conjunction with the United Nations, often implementing its projects.
It has worked in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories since 1975.
The U.N. said it was "aware of the very serious allegations" and would be following the case.
A 2015 statement on World Vision's website said it provided support to roughly 90,000 people in Gaza.
Since 2008, Israel has fought three wars in Gaza with Hamas, which is branded a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States and the European Union.
Israel said the charges were proof Hamas did not respect the neutrality of aid agencies.
"This money was intended for construction projects, financial aid and even food donations for Gazans in need," said Major General Yoav Mordechai, head of the military body that coordinates Israeli activities in the West Bank and Gaza.
"Hamas stole this money and passed it to its military wing to build bases, provide salary bonuses and dig tunnels."
Mordechai was due to meet World Vision's president Thursday evening to present him with the findings.
Khalil al-Halabi, Mohammed's father, told AFP his son had "no relationship with Hamas or any Palestinian organization."
Over two-thirds of Gaza's 1.9 million people are dependent on some form of aid, according to the United Nations.
The revelations could lead to increased pressure on foreign aid organizations working in Gaza, which already feel squeezed between Israel and Hamas.
"We are investigating other international organizations but hope not to come across a case of this magnitude," an Israeli security official said.
- 'Cynical exploitation' -
Israel maintains a blockade on Gaza and limits the entry of basic goods such as wood and cement, saying they can be put to military use by Hamas.
Rights groups accuse Israel of collective punishment.
Avi Dichter, head of the Israeli parliament's foreign affairs and defense committee, warned international donors to be more cautious with their money.
"The naivete of well-meaning groups enables sophisticated Hamas terrorists to divert aid to terror infrastructures," he said.
"These organizations and states should heed the Israeli warnings about Hamas and other terror groups' cynical exploitation."
In a detailed briefing on the allegations, Shin Bet said Halabi had confessed to being recruited in 2004 by the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades.
The official said he was given a "mission to infiltrate World Vision, get ahead and reach a position of influence."
A year later he joined the organization, rising to be its Gaza head by 2010, Shin Bet said. He was then able to divert money and resources to Hamas.
Shin Bet said Halabi confessed to having handed over various envelopes of cash, with the largest over $50,000.
It said materials imported to Gaza under the guise of aid projects -- including concrete blocks, scrap and pipes -- were diverted to Hamas, which had used them to build tunnels.
A military base code-named Palestine was built with money sequestered from World Vision, while food parcels and other aid intended for the needy were delivered to Hamas, according to Shin Bet.
almost 9 years
"I think people in the region have concluded that Israel is about finished,"
Finished with what? If as you stupidly claim that the country is finished, isn't it a miracle that all the Arab States haven't joined together to attack it or perhaps they have rightly realised that the opposite is the truth.
Interesting if true, about the money source. I think people in the region have concluded that Israel is about finished, which is why the Gulf monarchies are next on the auction block. Notice how the oil price has been delinked from US stock exchange indices: a month ago, the business analysts were all saying that a high oil price was necessary to economic health: meaning the US needed the Gulf monarchies to stay intact so they could serve along side Israel as the US police force for southwest Asia. Now we're letting them go. Could be we're going to grant Asia its independence. Listening, Lebanon?