On Tuesday, The Beersheba District Court sentenced Mohammed Halabi to 12 years in prison on charges of being a member of the Hamas terrorist group and financing terrorist activities. He was also convicted of transmitting information to the enemy and possession of a weapon.

Regarding the harsh sentence, the court said that a harsh sentence was needed to deter potential future criminality by humanitarian workers who might think their positions in NGOs could serve as cover for aiding terror groups.

Halabi’s lawyer Maher Hana said that he would appeal the conviction to the Supreme Court. The prosecution also said it was considering appealing, noting it had requested between a 16-21 year jail sentence.

World Vision, an international Christian humanitarian organization, responded to the conviction:

“World Vision emphatically condemns any and all acts of terrorism or support for such activities. We reject any attempt to divert humanitarian resources or exploit the work of aid organizations operating anywhere, and we do not see evidence of these things in this case.”

The Foreign Ministry said, “Any diversion of humanitarian funds for terrorist purposes is a reprehensible act committed at the expense of the welfare of the Palestinian residents of Gaza. Israel will continue to use the tools at its disposal to prevent such crimes, and to hold Hamas and other terrorist groups accountable for perpetrating them.” 

“Israel takes note of World Vision’s statement following the judgment, including its condemnation of any act of terrorism or support for such activities, and its rejection of any attempt to divert humanitarian resources or exploit the work of humanitarian organizations,” said the ministry.

NGO Monitor noted that “The El-Halabi affair serves as a cautionary tale for humanitarian actors and their funders. Absent rigorous oversight mechanisms, international aid is liable to be diverted by terrorist and armed actors in conflict zones around the world. The implementation of such measures is the only way to instill confidence in the humanitarian community, and to ensure that aid is delivered to those in need, not diverted to violent extremists.”

Halabi was a Palestinian aid worker and Gaza manager for World Vision International until he was arrested by Israel in 2016. A senior official with Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency, stated that Halabi was recruited by the military wing of Hamas in 2004 and instructed to penetrate World Vision. He was hired the next year and worked in the northern Gaza section. By 2014 he achieved a high management position for the entire Gaza Strip.

The Shin Bet claimed that Halabi had siphoned off $48 million in funds,  approximately 60% of the World Vision’s Gaza budget, of which he was a program manager, to Hamas over the course of six years to fund terrorist tunnels to attack Israeli civilians and to purchase weapons.  According to the charges, El-Halabi created humanitarian projects and fictitious agricultural associations to act as a cover for the hijacking of monies and materials for Hamas.

He also transferred 12 tons of steel and other materials to Hamas for its tunnels and positions. Halabi intentionally diverted large volumes of iron, plastic and digging tools to Hamas to assist it with digging terror tunnels. The court said that in 2012, Halabi twice visited terror tunnels with his brother and another operative, in one case providing the operative with $20,000 to repair tunnels destroyed by flooding.

Another $80,000 was used for building a Hamas position in Beit Hanon and for paying the salaries of Hamas members who fought against Israel in the 2014 war. 

In 2012, Shurat HaDin – Israel Law Center presented information alleging that  World Vision Australia allegedly provided “financial aid to a Gaza-based terrorist group”, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), which they also alleged is a “front for terror group the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine”.

During the Shin Bet interrogation, Halbi confessed but later recanted. The judges said that he was highly sophisticated and that his confession was “coherent, specific and included unique details… which he could not have concocted on the spot.”

In addition, they said that there was significant external documentary proof of his actions, indicating that throughout his World Vision employment, Halabi met with Hamas military operatives to keep up with their needs.

Prosecutors involved in the case told The Jerusalem Post that they had presented the court with unambiguous bank statements showing the path of the alleged terror funds.

NGO Monitor reported that in 2021, World Vision International’s total income was $3.2 billion; total expenses were $3 billion, of which $314 million was spent on “The Middle East/Europe.” 

The organization has stated its belief that “the Israeli occupation has negative spiritual and psychological effects on Palestinians and Israelis, especially the children.” Several senior officials in the World Vision Israeli entity (information taken from documents provided by the Registrar) have ties to NGOs promoting BDS activities and demonization of Israel.

In 2021, the Israeli Registrar of Non-Profits petitioned the Jerusalem District Court to dissolve an Israeli non-profit organization belonging to the international aid agency, World Vision. As justification for the request and following a multi-year investigation, the Registrar alleges that the local non-profit did not implement humanitarian projects as it claimed to and conducted financial transactions for purposes other than its stated goals – including providing funds to Hamas.  Moreover, the Registrar charges that the non-profit’s executive and oversight frameworks were non-functional and ineffective.