IDF: Hamas diverted charity funds from ‘Qawafel al-Khair’ to military wing

Military intelligence says internal Hamas papers show meetings and payments in 2023 that funneled donations to the Al-Qassam Brigades.

Documents recovered in Gaza show Hamas used the Palestinian charity “Qawafel al-Khair” to channel donations to its military wing, including grants, construction support, and logistics for terrorists, the IDF’s Intelligence Directorate said on Thursday.

The material, analyzed by a Military Intelligence Unit, details organized meetings in 2023 between Hamas and several NGOs, with Qawafel al-Khair at the center.

The directorate said the records indicate funds labeled as humanitarian were used to strengthen the Al-Qassam Brigades’ capabilities.

How did Hamas use the charitable funds?

Hamas was said to have used thefunds from the humanitarian association to establish the terror group’s training division and to distribute thousands of food parcels to members of the military wing.

Another document acquired by the IDF also documented Hamas‘s outreach to “Qawafel al-Khair” to request economic support for one of its operatives.

What is the Palestinian charity ‘Qawafel al-Khair’?

The charity promises to provide food and aid to Palestinians impacted by the “siege” on Gaza and the war ignited by Hamas over two years ago.

Donors are given the choice to sponsor a Gazan orphan, a tent, food packages, water, and clothing for children.

The organization’s X account shows it was created by a user in Gaza in 2015, and its website noted the organization originally went by the name “Ruba Al-Khair.”

The charity was originally opened by two Hamas terrorists, according to UK legal group UK Lawyers for Israel. Mansour Rayan and Ali Al-Mughrabi, the organization’s founders, were both released as part of the Gilad Shalit deal in 2011.

This is a developing story.