(Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories) IDF Maj.-Gen. Yoav Mordechai said Tuesday: "The egotistical Hamas terror organization has robbed funds that are meant for the needy of Gaza from international organizations. Hamas prospers at the expense of the residents of the Strip and uses donations meant for them to finance terror. How long will the world and the Gazan people ignore this?" Hamas routinely plants its operatives in key positions in international organizations, with the purpose of seizing resources and redirecting them for terror activities. Muhammad Faruq Sha'aban Murtaja, arrested by Israel one month ago, is a Gaza building engineer who was planted in the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) and served as its branch manager. Murtaja exploited his position in the agency in order to aid Hamas terror activities at the expense of the Palestinian public in Gaza - without the knowledge of the agency's senior leadership and the Turkish government. Since 2012, Murtaja diverted to Hamas money and resources intended for civilian projects in Gaza, adding up to millions of dollars. Murtaja fabricated lists of "students" and "needy" that consisted exclusively of Hamas operatives. Murtaja had TIKA fund a $13 million construction project for 20 residential buildings intended for needy residents, but which were built exclusively for members of Hamas' military wing. In other projects entitled "Humanitarian Aid for the Gaza Strip," Murtaja transferred an additional $2 million to the families of Hamas terrorists. During the 2014 Gaza war, he redirected 84,000 packages of food intended for the needy to Hamas terrorists. Hamas is stealing from Gaza's residents and undermining the international community's aid efforts.
2017-03-22 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive