Days of Palestine, Gaza Strip -Hamas denied on Tuesday Israeli claims that it uses UNDP’s funds, warning of Israeli plan to undermine work of aid agencies in Gaza.
“The Israeli claims regarding the international aid organisations comes in the line of an Israeli scheme to tighten the 10-year-old siege on the Gaza Strip throughout undermining the flow of funds for aid agencies,” Hamas Spokesman Sami abu-Zuhri said.
He called on the international community to bear its responsibility over such Israel “practices which could have dangerous consequences.”
Hamas remarks followed Israeli security services, Shin Bet, announcement that it arrested Waheed Abdullah al-Borsh, 38, on July 16 on accusing him of using his position at the UNDP to provide assistance to Hamas.
Al-Borsh has been working with the UNDP since 2003, and the Shin Bet claimed that he is being directed by a senior Hamas official to use his position in favour of the Islamic Movement.
Last week, the Israeli Shin Bet also announced it had arrested Mohamed al-Halabi, World Vision Gaza manager, on the grounds of the same accusations. Shin Bet accused Al-Halabi of funnelling World Vision’s funds to Hamas; an accusation that Hamas and World Vision itself denied.
World Vision said in a statement that its budgets are being audited by professional and international auditors. The UNDP as an international body must be audited by professional international auditors and such exploitation of its funds is not an easy job.
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