UK says it won’t fund World Vision in Gaza until after probe

The British Department for International Development, a government agency which does aid work for the UK, says it does not fund charity World Vision and will not consider awarding it grant money, after it’s Gaza director was accused by Israel of funneling money to terror group Hamas.

In a letter to the Jewish Leadership Council and the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Secretary Priti Patel says she is “deeply concerned” by the allegations leveled against World Vision and is “taking the matter extremely seriously.”

“DFID does not provide any current funding to World Vision operations in Gaza, or in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) more widely,” she writes in the letter, a response to a query from the JLC and Board of Deputies.

“We have written to World Vision to inform them that we will not consider any future funding to their work in the OPTs until World Vision has completed its audit and we have had the opportunity to fully consider our position,” she adds.

On August 4, Israel indicted World Vision Gaza manager Muhammad el-Halabi, accusing him of being a mole for Hamas and using his position and funds to aid the terror group.

World Vision, a US-based Christian charity which operates around the world, said it would launch an audit, but contested some of the claims by Israel.

In the immediate aftermath, Australia, which has donated several millions of dollars to World Vision in Gaza over the last three years, said it would freeze funding.

The British Conservative Friends of Israel praises Patel for the statement.

“The hard working taxpayers of this country will be relieved to learn that every effort is being made to ensure that their hard earned money will not end up in the pockets of wrong people but will be helping those that are most in need,” CFI Honorary President Stuart Polak

The Department for International Development was slated to spend 72 million pounds ($95 million) in Gaza in 2015/2016, down from 91 million pounds ($120 million) in 2011/2012, according to publicly available figures.