How Hamas exploited World Vision in Gaza to support its terrorist activities

August 5, 2016 by J-Wire Staff
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Dr. Danny Lamm, President of the Zionist Federation of Australia, expressed his outrage over allegations that Mohammad Halabi, the director of the Gaza branch of World Vision has been using his position to divert funds and resources from the needy to benefit Hamas’ terrorist activities.

Dr Danny Lamm

Dr Danny Lamm

The Israeli Security Services allege that Halabi redirected $7.2 million every year since 2010 by creating fictitious agricultural programs and then transferring the money to Hamas to finance the terror tunnels and the purchase of weapons.

Dr. Lamm said: “If proved to be true, this raises some major questions about aid organisations currently active in Gaza and the way they operate by hiring locals to oversee their operations. This is not the first time allegations have been made about a supposedly reputable organisation, and sheds serious doubt on the entire issue”.

It has been revealed that the Australian Government has given World Vision some $5 million over the past 3 years intended for projects in the Gaza Strip. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade announced this morning that they have suspended funding for World Vision’s charity work in the Palestinian territories while the issue is being investigated.

Dr. Lamm said, “I commend the government for taking swift action in suspending funds while the issue is under investigation and urge them to take it further as a matter of utmost urgency. While we cannot be sure where Australian funds were directed at this stage, it has already been revealed that money donated from the UK was used to create a Hamas military outpost. The very notion that money donated in good faith by Australia to assist Gazans could have potentially been used to fund the Hamas terror machine is frightening. One has to wonder what other organisations have been infiltrated by Hamas for similar purposes”.

Dr. Lamm concluded, “given the incredibly tight grip Hamas holds over the majority of institutions in Gaza, this latest issue shows that even one of the largest international charity organisations is not immune from Hamas’ corruption. We trust that the Australian Government will take the appropriate action to ensure that this does not happen again.”

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World Vision

  • World Vision is a respected global humanitarian aid organization operating in over 100 countries, with a budget of $2.6 billion (USD) and 46,000 employees.
  • World Vision is one of the largest aid organizations in the world and operates in collaboration with the UN.
  • World Vision has operated in Israel, the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) and the Gaza Strip since 1975.

The extent of World Vision funds channeled to the terrorist/military arm of Hamas

  • 60% of World Vision’s annual budget for the Gaza Strip was diverted by Hamas operative Mohammed El-Halabi to Hamas (approximately $7.2 million/year).
  • 40% of the funds designated for civilian projects ($1.5 million/year) were given in cash to Hamas combat units.
  • Monies designated for the needy in Gaza ($4 million/year) were diverted to Hamas for the construction of terror tunnels and the purchase of weapons.

Statement-on-the-arrest-of-World-Vision’s-staff-Mohammad-El-Halabi-_-World-Vision-International-2016-08-05-13-24-41Terrorist/military projects build with World Vision funds

  • A Hamas military base (code-named “Palestine”) was built using the aid organization’s money. $80,000 received from the United Kingdom went to construction costs of the base, paid in cash, while salaries were paid to terrorists who worked in the construction of the base.
  • The aid organization’s funds were diverted to finance the digging of terror tunnels leading from the Gaza Strip into Israel. [Note: These are not smuggling tunnels; they are designed to carry out attacks on civilian communities in Israel and Israeli security forces.]
  • Hamas received building materials from the aid organization that it used for its military facilities and terror tunnels, including iron rods, fences, greenhouse covers [used for camouflage purposes] and pipes.
  • During the Morsi regime in Egypt, El-Halabi diverted tens of thousands of dollars of the aid organization’s funds to purchase weapons in the Sinai, for Hamas.

Food designated for the needy was transferred directly to Hamas military  units in northern Gaza 

  • 2,500 food packages worth $100 each went to terrorists [total value $250,000].
  • 3,300 packages of cleaning supplies and personal hygiene products worth $80 each were also given to Hamas units [total value $264,000].

How the money was transferred to Hamas 

  • Some of the money raised to support injured children in Gaza was diverted to the families of Hamas terrorists, by fraudulently listing their children as wounded.
  • Money designated for psychological support, education and health in Gaza ($2 million/year) was used to pay the families of Hamas terrorists.
  • Part of the aid organization’s donations was transferred in cash and recorded fraudulently as aid to needy children.
  • Monies were paid out as salaries to Hamas terrorists and activists, who were registered as employees of the aid organization when in fact they never worked for World Vision.
  • Costs for legitimate infrastructure projects were inflated, with the difference going to Hamas.
  • Straw companies – two farmers’ associations and a fake charity for the benefit of the injured – were established with false registers to launder money.
  • Unemployment payments were diverted to Hamas terrorists. El-Halabi arranged for one-third of the allowances World Vision transfers to Gaza for the unemployed to go to members of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. The terrorists also received a larger allowance (NIS 1500 instead of NIS 1250, or $300).
  • Using lists of fictitious beneficiaries, $2 million/year designated as aid for farmers was diverted to Hamas activists. El-Halabi reported a larger sum than that actually transferred to the farmers to World Vision. The difference was diverted to Hamas.
  • Project costs were inflated. For example, World Vision invests in many agricultural projects in northern Gaza, one of which involves the construction of 500 greenhouses and the preparation of land (495 acres) for agriculture. El-Halabi reported to the charity that the cost was $1,000 per quarter acre, while the real cost was $700. The difference – $300 per quarter acre – was transferred to Hamas.

Comments

5 Responses to “How Hamas exploited World Vision in Gaza to support its terrorist activities”
  1. Leon Poddebsky says:

    By the way, Adrian, those Israeli spokespeople – why have you used the sexist, “spokesmen”?-do indeed speak with “a South African accent”, just like that other South African, Nelson Mandela’s, accent.

    Those Israelis, like Mandela, are also fighters for independence, truth and justice.

    • Adrian Jackson says:

      The police spokesperson are all men though.

      As soon as Mandella was elected there was a exodus of South Africans to other countries as their apartheid works had collapse.

  2. Adrian Jackson says:

    The Leader of World Vision in Australia, Baptist Rev Tim Costello, (older brother of former Liberal Party Federal Treasurer Peter Costello) has recently stated on TV news that their audits of funded sent to Palestine have been accounted for and he criticized Israels account.

    Perhaps World Vision has been to successful in providing humanitarian aid to Palestine and Israel does not like it?

    TV viewers will note that Israeli police spokesmen often have South African accent from that former apartheid country before Mandela was elected.

    • Leon Poddebsky says:

      Hi Adrian, do you have a German accent?

      • Adrian Jackson says:

        Actually I got my DNA result from ancestry.com.au last month and it was 88% British (England, Scotland, Cornwall), 6% Irish (Ulster), 2% West European, 2% European Jewish (I thought this was a religion not a race), and traces of Scandinavia and East Europe.

        The German line came from Carl Zeitler (1819-1908) from the Kingdom of Bavaria before Bismark created Germany. Carl was born in Wagner home town were the annual Wagner Festival is held; no wonder I like Wagner.

        Great uncles from the Zeitler and Mitchell families from German Town (now Holbrook, NSW) and Symonds family from Sydney NSW went to fight the Germans in WW1 and WO Les Symonds RAAF (Mums brother), a wireless operator/air gunner (the top turret) was shot down in 4/5 Jan 1945 and KIA in a Lancaster Heavy Bomber whilst bombing Germans in Vichy French.

        Actually the 350 aeroplane mission was meant to bomb a 12,000 man German garrison but they had gone and lots of French people were killed instead. This was due to poor intelligent from an American officer at SHAEF HQ.

        4 Lancaster’s were lost that night (light casualties really) and my uncles aeroplane and aircrew were never found (probably crashed into the Bay of Biscay), except for one RAF crewman washed up on France who later died. The pilot and my uncle were RAAF and the rest RAF.

        Grandpa Jackson joined Victoria Police in 1913 and was awarded the police valor medal in 1926 for disarming a man in Ballarat who firing shot in the street. Grandpa was unarmed and by himself and travelled to the scene in a hearse (funeral parlor next to ther police station) as no motor patrol car was available. The man was charged with firing a firearm in a public place and creating a nuisance. His young cousin was Reg Jackson who was Chief Commissioner. Both dead now.

        I am very pleased to see the UK is getting out of the EU too.

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