Tel Aviv, Aug 31 : A Israeli judge has sentenced an Palestinian employee of the World Vision aid organization to 12 years in prison.Time already served must be deducted from the time served, the district court in Beersheva decided on Tuesday.
Mohammed el-Halabi has been in prison for six years and was sentenced to 18 months of probation, according to the DPA news agency.
The judge determined el-Halabi guilty in June due to the fact that he had donated aid funds to Hamas who control the Gaza Strip.
He was also found guilty of other charges which included membership in an organization that was deemed terrorist and unlawful possession of weapons.
Israel has arrested el-Halabi in June 2016 when it arrested el-Halabi.
He was accused of taking millions in aid to the Hamas group.
In the court, however, he was not found guilty on all charges.
According to reports in the media the lawyer of the defendant wants to appeal the decision.
Following the arrest, World Vision stopped working in the Gaza Strip and 120 employees were fired.
In the past 10 years the Christian organization said it had invested more than 20 million euros in more than 50 projects along the coast.
It also offered food parcels, psychological assistance and support for pregnancies women.
Germany and Australia have stopped making payments to World Vision in Gaza in the wake of the accusations.An investigation by an outside source conducted by the aid organization did not find any irregularities.
The Islamist Hamas took over control in the Gaza Strip by force in 2007.
It is classified as a terrorist group by the US as well as the EU and Israel.
Around 2 million people reside in dangerous conditions in the coastal zone that is not accessible to them.
