This was one of the most high profile IILEGAL and murderous imprisonments of a totally innocent man – shame on every Israeli – Mark
The moment Tim Costello received the news that Mohammed el-Halabi was free, he burst into tears.
Halabi, the former World Vision branch manager for Gaza, spent more than eight years in custody after he was arrested in June 2016 while crossing the border between Israel and Gaza en route to a meeting with staff in Jerusalem.
He was charged in 2016 and convicted in 2022 of funnelling US$43 million in charity funding to Hamas, but he and his supporters always rejected the allegations.
Costello, the former chief executive of World Vision, was in charge when Halabi was detained and has advocated publicly for his release. He was overcome when Halabi was among the prisoners exchanged for Israeli hostages on Saturday and returned to his wife, five children and parents.
“When I heard the news, I burst into tears,” Costello said on Sunday. “I know Mohammed. I know that he was an innocent man who has had 8½ years in prison. “I know that World Vision did a forensic audit of all the monies, no monies were missing … that he was an innocent man, so I burst into tears with relief, particularly given he has five children.
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