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| Israel Charges Palestinian Employee of Aid Group With Funneling Funds to Hamas | Israel Charges Palestinian Employee of Aid Group With Funneling Funds to Hamas |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| ASHKELON, Israel — The Palestinian manager of the Gaza branch of World Vision, an international Christian aid organization, was charged by Israeli prosecutors on Thursday with funneling about $43 million in charity funds over the past six years to the military wing of Hamas, the Islamic militant group that controls the territory. | ASHKELON, Israel — The Palestinian manager of the Gaza branch of World Vision, an international Christian aid organization, was charged by Israeli prosecutors on Thursday with funneling about $43 million in charity funds over the past six years to the military wing of Hamas, the Islamic militant group that controls the territory. |
| The World Vision employee, Mohammad El Halabi, was arrested on June 15 at the Erez crossing point between Israel and Gaza. World Vision said in a statement on Thursday that “we have no reason to believe the allegations are true” based on the available information, and Israeli officials said they had found no evidence to suggest that the organization had been complicit in the diversion of funds. | The World Vision employee, Mohammad El Halabi, was arrested on June 15 at the Erez crossing point between Israel and Gaza. World Vision said in a statement on Thursday that “we have no reason to believe the allegations are true” based on the available information, and Israeli officials said they had found no evidence to suggest that the organization had been complicit in the diversion of funds. |
| World Vision had said in an earlier statement, issued soon after Mr. Halabi was arrested, that it was “not aware of his whereabouts” or what, if anything, he had been accused of. It added that it was extremely concerned about Mr. Halabi’s safety. | World Vision had said in an earlier statement, issued soon after Mr. Halabi was arrested, that it was “not aware of his whereabouts” or what, if anything, he had been accused of. It added that it was extremely concerned about Mr. Halabi’s safety. |
| Briefing reporters on Thursday in the Israeli city of Ashkelon, on the Mediterranean coast a few miles north of the Gaza Strip, a senior official with Israel’s internal security service, Shin Bet, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with his agency’s rules, said that Mr. Halabi had transferred about 60 percent of World Vision’s annual budget for Gaza to Hamas. | |
| The official said that some of the money had been used by Hamas militants to dig cross-border tunnels for the purpose of carrying out attacks in Israeli territory. Donations were also used to build a Hamas military base, and 2,500 food packages meant for needy families in Gaza were transferred to Hamas battalions, the official added. | The official said that some of the money had been used by Hamas militants to dig cross-border tunnels for the purpose of carrying out attacks in Israeli territory. Donations were also used to build a Hamas military base, and 2,500 food packages meant for needy families in Gaza were transferred to Hamas battalions, the official added. |
| The Shin Bet official said that officers raided the organization’s offices in East Jerusalem, emphasizing that there was no evidence from the investigation and interrogation of Mr. Halabi that World Vision had been aware of the misuse of its funds in Gaza. | |
| However, the investigation, the official said, pointed to an abysmal lack of monitoring and supervision by the organization of its donations and projects. | However, the investigation, the official said, pointed to an abysmal lack of monitoring and supervision by the organization of its donations and projects. |
| According to the Shin Bet, Mr. Halabi was recruited by Hamas’s military wing in 2004 and was instructed to infiltrate World Vision and to try to reach an influential position. The agency said that Mr. Halabi became the manager of the Gaza branch of World Vision in 2010. | According to the Shin Bet, Mr. Halabi was recruited by Hamas’s military wing in 2004 and was instructed to infiltrate World Vision and to try to reach an influential position. The agency said that Mr. Halabi became the manager of the Gaza branch of World Vision in 2010. |
| Israel, like the United States and the European Union, considers Hamas a terrorist organization. | Israel, like the United States and the European Union, considers Hamas a terrorist organization. |
| “Hamas stole tens of millions of dollars from disabled and poor Palestinian children to build a war machine,” said David Keyes, a spokesman for the Israeli government. “That tells you everything you need to know about that terrorist organization.” | “Hamas stole tens of millions of dollars from disabled and poor Palestinian children to build a war machine,” said David Keyes, a spokesman for the Israeli government. “That tells you everything you need to know about that terrorist organization.” |
| World Vision has said that its donors sponsored 4.1 million children around the world last year, providing about $1.2 billion in funds. The current recipients include about 40,000 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. | World Vision has said that its donors sponsored 4.1 million children around the world last year, providing about $1.2 billion in funds. The current recipients include about 40,000 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. |
| The organization has used a sponsor-a-child fund-raising model for five decades, to play on the power of personalization, although most of the money is used to finance projects in the child’s community rather than going directly to the child or the child’s family. | |
| In the West Bank village of Husan, for example, the organization was said to have spent about $1.5 million from 1996 to 2006, a former employee said, helping to dig wells, build greenhouses, fix roads, prepare land for planting and repair fences. The group built a community center and outfitted the four-story building that houses the village council. | In the West Bank village of Husan, for example, the organization was said to have spent about $1.5 million from 1996 to 2006, a former employee said, helping to dig wells, build greenhouses, fix roads, prepare land for planting and repair fences. The group built a community center and outfitted the four-story building that houses the village council. |
| In its statement, World Vision said it would “carefully review any evidence presented to us and will take appropriate actions based on that evidence.” | In its statement, World Vision said it would “carefully review any evidence presented to us and will take appropriate actions based on that evidence.” |
| The organization said its Gaza programs were “subject to regular internal and independent audits, independent evaluations and a broad range of internal controls aimed at ensuring that assets reach their intended beneficiaries and are used in compliance with applicable laws and donor requirements.” | |
| World Vision said it was “shocked to learn of these charges against Mohammad,” which were issued 50 days after he was detained returning to Gaza from meetings in Jerusalem. | World Vision said it was “shocked to learn of these charges against Mohammad,” which were issued 50 days after he was detained returning to Gaza from meetings in Jerusalem. |