Israel targets Turkey charity amid Gaza flotilla tensions
The request, published in Israeli media, marks a further escalation in tensions with Turkey amid disputes over Gaza aid operations.
Israel has asked the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to immediately halt its support to the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) that is distributing aid in Gaza on the grounds that it is a designated terrorist organization, Israeli outlets reported on Thursday. The move marks a further escalation by Israel against Turkey, which it accuses of supporting Hamas and engaging in activities hostile to the Jewish state.
Maj. Gen. Yoram Halevy, the head of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the body responsible for overseeing civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories, wrote a letter seeking the immediate suspension of “fuel distribution and all other support by WFP to IHH.”
The letter, published by Israeli outlets, went on, “Supporting activities of a designated terror organization is seen as a serious offense that could carry severe consequences.”
COGAT is a unit in the Israeli Ministry of Defense that coordinates aid and other logistical matters between the Israeli government, the Palestinian Authority and international organizations in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip.
