The Jerusalem District Court on Sunday ordered the dissolution of a nongovernmental organization based in east Jerusalem that was used as a front by a Palestinian terrorist group.
The illicit activities of Lajnat al-Amal al-Zarai, or the Committee of Agricultural Work, were first exposed by Israel Hayom in October 2016.
The group allegedly funneled millions of dollars to the Gaza Strip-based Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
The Registrar of Associations in Israel initiated the NGO's liquidation process in the court, which ruled that the evidence presented supports the allegation that the organization was involved in donor fraud and terror financing.
The alleged donor fraud was uncovered by the International Legal Forum, a local advocacy group, in 2016. It found that the commmittee had defrauded foreign entities and individuals into thinking they were donating funds for humanitarian relief efforts in Gaza, but instead the funds were diverted to terrorist activities.
ILF director attorney Yifat Segal welcomed the ruling, saying it "puts an end to the financing of terrorism under the auspices of the Israeli legal system."
Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said Sunday that in the wake of the court's ruling, "the State Attorney's Office now has to look at the evidence and decide whether the heads of the NGO should face criminal charges."
