‘Israel’ used Germany-based aid agency as humanitarian cover for failed spy mission in Gaza

Gaza (QNN)- A new investigative report by Al Jazeera revealed on Sunday that an international humanitarian aid agency helped the Israeli army in a failed spy mission in the Gaza strip.

Humedica International Aid, a non-governmental organisation based in Germany, which provides humanitarian and medical aid for Gazans, backed a failed Israeli spy operation last year by hiding Israeli military equipment along with medical aid in warehouses that it rented in Gaza, according to “What is Hidden is Worse” program on Al Jazeera.

The failed Israeli spy mission, which took place in November 2018, was carried out by the Sayeret Matkal (Israeli commando unit). It aimed at planting spying and surveillance devices to hack Al Qassam’s mobile network.

The unit members were busted only two hours after infiltrating into Gaza. Al Qassam members interrogated them before they clashed leaving two martyrs from Al Qassam and one death among the unit members.

Israeli warplanes rushed to the area to evacuate the Israeli spies, who left behind valuable surveillance and video records for the resistance. The resistance retaliated for the Israeli crime firing several missiles at surrounding settlements.

The program interviewed Abu Huthaifa, an interrogator in Al Qassam intelligence, who said that the Portuguese Area Manager of Humedica, Joao Pedro Santos, rented warehouses in Gaza, in which he stored medical substances to cover other military equipment. But Santos left Gaza immediately after Hamas fighters busted the Israeli spy mission.

Abu Huthaifa stated that they found “expired drugs and some medical equipment and mattresses, in which there were money, surveillance and drilling equipment”.

“The enemy used a humanitarian aid organization to cover its crimes in Gaza”, he added.

When the program contacted Humedica’s Head of Media and Communications, he stated that Santos volunteered at the organization “to organize the humanitarian aid projects and import of relief goods in accordance with relevant regulations”. But he stopped working for the organization “since Humedica stopped its support activities [in Gaza] earlier this year when the process of import became too complicated”.

He also denied having any information that the name of Humedica was used as humanitarian cover and asked Al Jazeera to “protect the name and mandate of humedica as well as Mr. Santos and not mention them in any relation to the incident”.

Despite of Humedica’s confirmation that Santos was a volunteer, the program revealed documents issued by the organization itself, which are signed by Santos as an Area Manager.