„Over the course of several years, the Hamas terrorist organization siphoned off ‚tens of millions of dollars‘ from the US-based World Vision charity for its military wing, the Shin Bet security service said Thursday. Muhammad Halabi, a Hamas member and manager of operations for World Vision in Gaza, was indicted in a Beersheba court on Thursday for his role in the alleged scheme. He was arrested in a joint Shin Bet-IDF-Israel Police operation at the Erez Crossing on June 15 as he tried to return to the Strip, the Shin Bet said.
Halabi, a member of Hamas from a young age, was handpicked to infiltrate the international charity in 2005 in order to steal money for the terrorist organization, according to the investigation. ‚This was a meaningful and important investigation that showed – above all – the cynical and crude way in which Hamas takes advantage of funds and resources from international humanitarian aid organizations,‘ the Shin Bet said in a statement. (…) After rising through the ranks of World Vision, Halabi became the manager of World Vision’s activities in the Gaza Strip. ‚In that capacity he controlled the budget, equipment and humanitarian aid packages worth tens of millions of dollars,‘ the Shin Bet said. There he was able to funnel approximately ‚60 percent of World Vision’s annual budget for the Gaza Strip to Hamas,‘ according to his testimony, which amounted to approximately $7.2 million every year. (…) According to Halabi’s testimony, the funds that were transferred to Hamas were ‚earmarked for building up the military wing [of Hamas],‘ including digging tunnels, purchasing weaponry and building defensive outposts.“
(Judah Ari Gross: „Senior aid worker said to funnel ‘tens of millions’ to Hamas“)
