Dutch humanitarian funds may have been diverted to Hamas, report finds

Dutch taxpayer money may have reached Hamas through humanitarian organizations, according to a report by Israeli watchdog NGO Monitor. The group said the Dutch government should carefully review aid flows to Gaza.

The report specifically mentions Oxfam Novib among the non-governmental organizations cited. Olga Deutsch, vice president of NGO Monitor, called for heightened scrutiny, stating that the government should “critically examine the humanitarian money flows to Gaza,” De Telegraaf reports.

A spokesperson for Oxfam Novib, representing director Michiel Servaes, a former PvdA member of parliament, denied the allegations.

The spokesperson said an “independent investigation” found “no evidence for the allegations by NGO Monitor” and emphasized that “Oxfam Novib operates completely independently of Hamas or other Palestinian armed groups.”

NGO Monitor’s report is largely based on statements made by Hamas itself, Deutsch noted.