Family of former World Vision chief in Gaza Mohammed al-Halabi condemns Israeli court 12-year prison sentencing

The family of Mohammed al-Halabi, the former Gaza-based head of a major US-based aid agency World Vision, condemned on Tuesday an Israeli court's decision to sentence al-Halabi to 12 years in prison. 

Earlier in the day, the sentence was issued in a Beersheba district court in southern Israel against al-Halabi, who has already spent six years in jail as court proceedings lumbered along.

An Israeli court issued a ruling in June that Halabi was guilty of siphoning off millions of dollars and tonnes of steel to Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.

Khalil al-Halabi, Mohammed's father, was informed by his lawyer Maher Hanna that his son will likely stay more years in prison despite his denial of all charges. 

"It was not new from the Israeli occupation and its illegal courts that insist on ignoring all the human rights when they deal with Palestinian people," the 67-year-old father of seven said to The New Arab. 

"Even though the Israeli court sentenced my son, we will appeal against the sentence again and demand that international human rights organisations support us in our issue against the injustice of the Israeli occupation," he added. 

In 2016, the Israeli authorities arrested al-Halabi upon his urn from Jerusalem, in where he attended a regular meeting with his managers at the World Vision Foundation in the Jerusalem office.

"At that time, he was transferred to the Ashkelon Interrogation Center, where the interrogation continued for 52 days," his father said. 

He noted that his 44-year-old son was subjected to physical and psychological torture, and was prevented from access to his lawyer to extract a confession by force.

"Because of the continuous torture, my poor son lost 50 per cent of his hearing (...) he is suffering from other health problems, mainly he cannot remember most things that happened to him," the father added. 

Al-Halabi is the longest-serving administrative detainee in Israeli jails without any charges. He faced the longest trial process in the history of Israeli courts, subjected to 172 trials since his arrest in 2016.

In an attempt to prove that his detention was legal, the Israeli courts tried many times to convince al-Halabi and his lawyer to implement a deal by forcing him to confess to the charges against him in exchange for his immediate release, but he has so far refused and has consistently denied any crime.

For her part, Mohammed al-Halabi's mother expressed shock over Israel's decision to detain her son for a further 12 years. 

"My son did not do anything against Israel (...) he is an activist who cares about human rights and Gaza. He used to help the young people here," the grieving mother said to The New Arab. 

"Since his arrest, I have never felt any joy or happiness and I have suffered from health problems for many years," she added. "I do not know if I will have time to see my son free someday, or I will be among the dead."

Al-Halabi’s parents demanded all international human rights organisations support their son and do their best to defend him.

In a press statement, the Palestinian Prisoners Club (PPC) said that the Israeli sentence is unjust and reflects the occupation's desire to take revenge on al-Halabi. 

"The trial of the al-Halabi is illegal and puts the Israeli occupation system with all its apparatuses in a real dilemma before the international community," the PPC said. 

"Simply, Israel has dealt a severe blow to everyone working in the field of human rights in the Palestinian territories, as well as the international human rights system, which has kept themselves away from the facts on the ground and issued some statements of condemnation only to express their positions toward the Israeli violations," it added. 

On his part, Hazem Qassem, the spokesperson of the Gaza-run Hamas, said to The New Arab that "the Israeli court decision is unfair and it aims to carry out a revenge against al-Halabi."

"Such an illegal sentence is considered an extension of the injustice that has befallen him since the first moment of his arrest without any evidence or proof," Qassem said. 

He added that Israel is waging a massive war against all the Palestinian people in all fields, whether they are civil, legal, doctors, or even students.

"Unfortunately, the international community organisations are helping Israel commit more crimes against the Palestinians through the deliberate silence of those organisations that claim to defend human rights," the spokesperson stressed.