LONDON (EJP) - A British charity worker has been arrested by Israeli authorities on suspicion of transferring funds to Hamas.
Ayaz Ali was working for Islamic Relief, a Birmingham based Islamic charity. He was arrested on his way from Jerusalem to Ramallah on May 9 and is being held in custody under military law. Details of his arrest were only made public last Thursday
Although not charged, Israeli authorities cite “security reasons” for detaining him and he is being held at a military prison in Ashkelon.
Military detention
Ali, who is from Bradford, Yorkshire, was originally held under Israeli law, however last week the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that he should remain a detainee under military law.
A second hearing ordered that he remain in custody for an additional 10 days for questioning.
Islamic Relief denied that he had any connection with any illegal activities and said that his work was purely humanitarian.
A spokesman for Islamic Relief said: “Islamic Relief is deeply concerned for Ayaz’s welfare, he was only involved in charitable work and in no way is he or Islamic Relief linked to any criminal or suspect activity.”
Islamic Relief praised Ali’s interest in humanitarian projects “and particular passion for working on projects that would help disadvantaged children lead a normal life”.
British Embassy assistance
Karen Kaufman, spokeswoman for the British Embassy in Israel, told the Associated Press that British diplomats have had access to Ali and have attended the hearings. She could say only that he has not yet been charged with any offence, but he has legal representation.
A spokesman for the British Foreign Office said: “Consul staff have offered assistance. We cannot speculate about the reasons for his arrest, but we are seeking clarification from the Israelis.”
Hany El Banna, president of Islamic Relief, said: “I was shocked to hear the news and am at a loss to understand why Ayaz has been arrested.”
“Unfortunately, aid workers are an easy target as we have seen in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. We are concerned that incidents like this prevent humanitarian field workers from carrying out their duties,” he added.