World Vision aid worker accused of diverting $50m to Hamas

A senior employee of the international aid group World Vision in the Gaza Strip siphoned off millions of dollars of the charity’s funds and transferred them to the Islamic militant group Hamas, assisting it in building tunnels and purchasing arms, Israel’s internal security agency said.

The Shin Bet said Mohammed el-Halabi established a “systematic and sophisticated mechanism” to divert up to $50m (€45m) over the years to the group, which rules Gaza, creating fictitious humanitarian projects and doctoring inflated receipts to get the funds to Hamas.

World Vision, a US-based Christian aid group that works in nearly 100 countries, said in a statement on its website that it was “shocked” by the allegations and said it has “no reason to believe” they are true.

An Israeli Foreign Ministry official said Kent Hill, a senior official with the organisation, was holding meetings in Israel over the accusations.

Hamas declined to comment. El-Halabi, who is in his late 30s and from Jebaliya in the Gaza Strip, was arrested in June as he was crossing from Israel into Gaza.

The Shin Bet said he underwent Hamas military and organisational training in the early 2000s and was “planted” by the group at World Vision in 2005, where he climbed the ranks to become director of the Gaza branch.

“He began to conduct security operations for Hamas’ military wing which was essentially exploiting the organisation’s funds for Hamas’ fortification,” the Shin Bet said.

To divert the funds, the Shin Bet said el-Halabi initiated fictitious projects meant to help farmers, the disabled and fishermen.

He would falsely list Hamas operatives as workers on those projects and write up inflated receipts.

Companies hired to carry out certain projects under fictitious tenders were “made aware” that 60% of the project’s funds were destined for Hamas, the Shin Bet statement said, adding that some of World Vision’s budget was used to pay Hamas operatives’ salaries.

The agency said el-Halabi divulged intelligence about employees working for United Nations agencies and other aid groups who were also assisting Hamas, without elaborating.

A LinkedIn profile that appears to be el-Halabi’s says he previously worked at UNDP, a UN agency.