According to a report by an Israeli NGO, Hamas’s own internal memos show it has been working in tandem with Canadian government‑funded charities and non‑governmental organizations. The Israeli army says it seized documents during its Gaza counteroffensive detailing how the terror organization allegedly infiltrated and exploited international NGOs operating in the Strip.
National Post was given exclusive access to electronic scans of what are said to be the original Arabic documents, as well as English translations, by NGO Monitor, a Jerusalem-based non-profit that works to hold non-governmental organizations accountable, particularly on matters relating to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While National Post was not able to independently verify the documents, the Israel Defence Forces says the documents are authentic.
Details of the Documents
According to a Dec. 11, 2022, memo, the Canadian government gave over $300,000 to a project proposed by the U.S.-based Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and implemented by the Ajyal Association for Creativity and Development, a Gazan NGO. The document the IDF says it retrieved indicates that the project’s beneficiaries were selected from a list provided by the Hamas-run Ministry of Social Development, and includes details of security screenings conducted by Hamas on all the Ajyal staff working on the project. The Post contacted Ajyal for comment but did not receive a response by deadline.
There were allegedly 37 “team members” on the ground, including one listed as being aligned with Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a listed terrorist organization in Canada.
Canadian Funding and NGO Response
Global Affairs Canada did not directly address the Post’s request for information on this specific project, and CRS did not respond to several requests for comment. However, according to Canadian government records, CRS was given grants of nearly $6.5 million in 2014, close to $10 million in 2019 and around $210,000 in 2020, all from Global Affairs Canada.
According to another document the IDF says it retrieved, dated Dec. 14, 2022, the AISHA Association for Woman and Child Protection, a Gaza-based NGO that received over $1 million from the Canadian government between 2018 and 2019, is listed as “co-operating” with Hamas’s Ministry of Interior and National Security. AISHA did not respond to the Post’s requests for comment.
Government Stance
Global Affairs Canada spokesperson Alexandre Fournier told National Post that, “The Government of Canada does not tolerate any misuse or diversion of international assistance,” claiming that, “Canada exercises enhanced due diligence for international assistance funding through established funding agreements, ongoing oversight and a systematic screening process.”
