BICOM

Israeli authorities announced yesterday that millions of pounds in aid from a Turkish organisation, intended for humanitarian relief in Gaza, were allegedly diverted by Hamas for use by its military wing.

The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which oversees access between Israel and the Gaza Strip, said that a month ago, Israel arrested Gaza resident and civil engineer Muhammad Faruq Sha’aban Murtaja on suspicion of diverting funds. Murtaja had served as the branch manager of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) for several years.

Unknown to TIKA or the Turkish government, Murtaja allegedly joined the Hamas’ military wing in 2009 and abused his position at TIKA to divert funds towards Hamas’ military personnel and activities. According to COGAT, he is being accused of presenting lists of people he claimed to be “needy” Gaza residents and “students” who required financial support, but who in reality consisted exclusively of Hamas operatives. He allegedly transferred around £2.4m to them as a result.

TIKA is also suspected of having given £10.2m to construct 20 housing units meant for Gaza’s needy, but that were gifted exclusively to Hamas military members.

During Operation Protective Edge in 2014, Murtaja allegedly ensured that 84,000 packages of food, which were intended for the needy during hostilities, were redirected to Hamas terrorists. COGAT added that Murtaja is suspected of having redirected additional funds for the construction of Hamas outposts, tunnel excavations, and the smuggling of armaments into the Gaza Strip.

A COGAT statement said that the Hamas leadership is “not working in the interest of the needy residents of Gaza, rather only for Hamas terrorists and terror infrastructure”. It added that they choose to “fund the manufacturing of rockets at the expense of future generations” which “ruthlessly strips Gazans’ rights to build schools, wear warm clothes and receive scholarships that could ensure their future”.

In a separate development, an 18-year-old Palestinian from Gaza was killed overnight and two others wounded after they attempted to cross the Gaza border into Israel. An IDF spokesman said that soldiers spotted three men “close to the security fence and opened fire in their direction”.