Christian charity aid worker ‘diverted nearly £73million of taxpayers’ money to terror group Hamas’

AN aid worker at a Christian charity given nearly £73 million of British taxpayers’ cash has been accused of funnelling money to terror group Hamas. 

Israel’s Shin Bet security agency charged World Vision’s Mohammad El Halabi with funnelling tens of millions of dollars to the Palestinian militants since “infiltrating” the charity in 2010.

It also claimed he diverted £80,000 of British donations towards building a military base, dig tunnels and pay salaries in Hamas’ military wing.

It was not clear last night whether the £80,000 was from British taxpayers or private donations.

But it sparked demands for an urgent review of Government funding for World Vision, which has received £72.9 million in grants from the Department for International Development since 2010 according to annual reports.

Tory MP Sir Eric Pickles said: “It is deeply worrying when the British public make donations to World Vision and think that they are giving it to help poverty, and to help children’s interests.

“They don’t expect it to be used for terrorism and to build illegal tunnels.

“We need to have greater control in the way money goes to Gaza and the Palestinian Authority – we can’t be putting money into the hands of Hamas.”

Taxpayers’ Alliance’s chief executive Jonathan Isaby added: “This goes to show how little care is taken over the billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money we send overseas every single year.

“It beggars belief that British taxpayers could be unwittingly funding some rather unsavoury groups, and the department must take immediate action to cut off funding that isn’t going towards the world’s neediest.”

World Vision said it was “shocked” by the allegations against El Halabi, who rose to become its Gaza chief, and that it “stands by Mohammad, who is a widely respected and well regarded humanitarian, field manager and trusted colleague of over a decade”.

A source at the Department for International Development said it was taking the matter “very seriously” and would not hesitate to cut funding if wrongdoing was found.

But they insisted none of the UK grants are for World Vision’s work in the Middle East.

El Halabi was arrested in June and has now been charged with funding terrorism.

A Hamas spokesman said it had “no connection” to him.

It is the latest scandal to engulf Britain’s foreign aid budget, which has ballooned to £13 billion a year as laws force us to give away 0.7 per cent of national income.