Islamic charity launches probe over Hamas funding claims

A leading Muslim charity in the UK is carrying out an internal investigation into its aid to Palestinians following Israeli claims of links to Hamas.

Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon banned Birmingham-based Islamic Relief Worldwide from operating in the West Bank in June, accusing it of funnelling money to Hamas-controlled organisations.

A spokesman for the charity said this week that it “categorically denies” the allegations and was a purely humanitarian organisation.

But he added, “As a responsible organisation we are looking into this matter thoroughly to ensure that our processes for aid delivery have been followed.”