British charity under investigation over links to pro-Hamas news network
An aid charity is under investigation by the Charity Commission over its alleged links to a pro-Hamas news agency.
World Aid Convoy, which is based in Dewsbury, has repeatedly been promoted online by the Gaza Now news agency, which also promotes the terrorist groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Gaza Now has been urging people to donate to the charity, which claims it is providing aid and food to southern and northern Gaza amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
It referred to the charity’s workers as “our brothers” in a post on Telegram which has been unearthed by The Telegraph.
The posts prompted concerns that funds were being solicited for World Aid Convoy through Gaza Now, the regulator said on Tuesday as it confirmed it had opened a statutory inquiry into the charity in May.
The regulator began engaging with World Aid Convoy in March and initial contact with its trustees gave rise to concerns about the charity’s management and governance.
The inquiry will try to determine what, if any, links there are between the charity and Gaza Now, if any funds have been provided either directly or via partners and if these funds can be fully accounted for.
The charity, which has been registered since 2014, received an income of £86,458 in the 2023 financial year, according to accounts registered with the Charity Commission.
It has previously worked in Syria in 2014, providing ambulance vehicles to be used by hospitals in the country.
At the time, Abdullah Ahmed, its chairman, told Al Jazeera that the charity “won’t associate ourselves with any rebel groups,” and that “the people we work with are the orphans, widows, refugees, hospitals and the most needy”.
The charity has been contacted for comment by The Telegraph.
Gaza Now founders sanctioned
Gaza Now, established in 2006, is a news agency based in the Palestinian territory which has seen a growth in popularity since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October.
In a post on Telegram on Feb 28, the agency said: “The Muslim brothers in World Aid Convoy are our brothers and their campaign to help Gaza is our campaign, this is why we promote World Aid Convoy.”
It also urged people to donate to the charity in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on March 7, and included a link to the charity’s website.
Gaza Now and its alleged founders, Aozma Sultana and Mustafa Ayash, were sanctioned and made subject to a full asset freeze by the Government in March under the suspicion that they were involved in terrorism.
A separate inquiry into Ms Sultana was launched by the Charity Commission in April, amid “serious concerns” that public donations meant for humanitarian aid in Gaza were instead providing financial support for Gaza Now.
The Charity Commission said any association between charities and terrorism or extremism was “very serious” and was “damaging to public trust and confidence in the sector”.
A report on the World Aid Convoy inquiry’s findings and any action taken will be published once it has concluded.