Gaza aid worker gets 12 years on Israeli terror charges

By AMI BENTOV
Associated Press

BEERSHEBA, Israel (AP) — An Israeli court on Tuesday sentenced the Gaza director of a major international charity to 12 years in prison. Mohammed el-Halabi was found guilty earlier this year of terrorism charges in a high-profile case in which independent investigations found no proof of wrongdoing. El-Halabi was arrested in 2016 and accused of diverting tens of millions of dollars to the Islamic militant group Hamas that rules the territory. The trial, and his prolonged detention, have further strained relations between Israel and humanitarian organizations that provide aid to Palestinians. The sentence is likely to continue to affect those ties.