Israel sentences World Vision ex-Gaza chief to 12 years over terror charges

 

A court in Israel has sentenced a Gaza aid worker to 12 years in prison over terror charges. He was found guilty of several terrorism charges in a high-profile case in which independent audits found no evidence of wrongdoing.

Mohammed el-Halabi, the Gaza director for the international Christian charity, World Vision, was arrested in 2016. He was reportedly accused of diverting tens of millions of dollars to Hamas, a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist and militant group. Over 160 hearings have been held since 2016.

Now, the Be'er Sheva district court in southern Israel issued a sentence of "12 years prison time, less the detention".

His trial and detention have further affected relations between Israel and humanitarian organizations that provide aid to Palestinians. His lawyer, Maher Hanna, reportedly said, “They insist that injustice will persist throughout the whole process.” Halabi, who hails from Jabaliya Refugee Camp in the Gaza Strip, and his legal team has denied charges levelled against him.

Earlier, audits by World Vision and the United States Agency for International Development did not find any wrongdoings in the disbursement of funds donated to the nonprofit. Australia, which was the biggest single donor to World Vision’s humanitarian work in Gaza, came to similar conclusions in the review report. Australia also found no evidence of support for Hamas. World Vision also denied charges levelled against Halabi.

World Vision said, “The arrest, six-year trial, unjust verdict and this sentence are emblematic of actions that affect humanitarian work in Gaza and the West Bank.”

However, the Israeli authorities have repeatedly said that they have proof that Hamas had infiltrated the aid group. They also said that Hamas took money from the group. Earlier, former Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, also talked about el-Halabi’s arrest in a video.

Israel reportedly said it must prevent donor funds from falling into the hands of armed groups.