The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), Maj.-Gen. Yoram Halevi, demanded on Thursday that the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) immediately stop transferring any aid or support to the Turkish organization IHH, which has been designated by Israel as a terrorist organization.
COGAT had recently received information that WFP had transferred fuel to IHH within the Gaza Strip, prompting Halevi to write a letter to the organization's head, Shaun Hughes.
In the letter, COGAT emphasized that Israel designated IHH a terrorist organization in 2008, and as such supporting its activities is illegal and "could carry severe consequences."
IHH wears 'two hats': humanitarian activity, terrorism
IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation is a Government-organized non-governmental organization or GONGO, meaning it is closely linked to the Turkish ruling party under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
According to Israel's Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, IHH has "two hats": one hat is its work as a humanitarian organization that conducts legitimate humanitarian activity around the world; the other hat is "a radical, jihadi and pro-Hamas organization and involvement in terrorist attacks."
In addition to its humanitarian actions in Gaza, IHH has also promoted the recent flotillas to the Gaza Strip, including the one stopped by the Israeli Navy earlier this week.
Mathilda Heller contributed to this report.