In recent days, Israeli officials alleged misuse of funds by other aid agencies in Gaza and signaled that the investigation into Mr. Halabi would uncover other Hamas operatives.
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World Vision International president Kevin Jenkins said in a statement the organisation was conducting an investigation into the allegations and “condemns any diversion of funds from any humanitarian organisation”.
The UNDP is the “latest victim of Hamas”, he said.
Borsh confessed that he had helped Hamas build a military jetty in the northern Gaza Strip to support Hamas’ naval forces and prioritizing the rebuilding of homes where Hamas members resided.
Shin Bet arrested Borsh in July.
World Vision’s top two donors have suspended funding after Israel charged the Christian charity’s Gaza director of funneling money to the Palestinian extremist group Hamas.
The UNDP carries out reconstruction and development projects for the civilians in Gaza. Its stated objective in the region is “to improve the economic and social conditions of the Palestinian people by identifying their social and economic needs and by establishing concrete projects to that end”.
Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs outlined the charges against Borsh in a letter addressed to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon via Israel’s UN envoy Danny Danon with the expectation that the worldwide body condemn the activities.
“If the United Nations is really interested in improving the lives of Gaza residents, it must immediately stop and dismiss any employee who works in the service of Hamas and cut all ties with organizations that assists terrorist”, the ambassador added.
A rubble removal project at Shujaiyah, Gaza, is funded by Sweden and implemented by UNDP.
In a statement it said they were part of a wider Israeli effort “to tighten the siege of the Gaza Strip by prosecuting worldwide relief organizations”. Observers of the worldwide aid industry have long understood that staffers of global aid organizations who operate in a war zone will be under the thumb of the warlords in charge of the area and that this has a corrupting influence on how aid organizations operate. “We must do everything we can to prevent Hamas from undermining our efforts”.
While Hamas itself publishes budget figures for part of its governance, the funding of its military wing – covering the building of military tunnels and bases – is hidden, although Israel has long accused it of diverting civilian materiel. It was the third war with Hamas since 2008. If Halabi is proven guilty of the allegations against him, then Hamas is jeopardizing humanitarian aid for its own people on objective.
Holten said the World Vision budget includes all in-kind donations, but she did not provide a detailed report of the organization’s spending in Gaza in recent years.
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Last week, the charity said it was committed to “regular internal and independent audits, independent evaluations and a broad range of internal controls aimed at ensuring assets reach their intended beneficiaries”.
