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.
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