An Israeli military court on Wednesday convicted a Spanish aid worker of using her organization as a cover to fund a Palestinian terrorist group, the defense and foreign ministries said.
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Juana Rashmawi was convicted as part of a plea bargain in which she admitted her role as a "fundraiser for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine" a statement from the ministries said.
In addition, Rashmawi said her organization, the Union of Health Work Committees, was "a civilian arm of the PFLP, along with six other groups recently outlawed," the Israeli statement said.
Rashmawi's organization had been banned in Israel in 2020.
Israeli officials said Rashmawi's conviction proved their accusations against the Palestinian NGOs were correct.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that trying for human rights activists to try and cover up terrorist activity "is a double sin. It fuels terrorism and harms organizations that do important work.
"The conviction demonstrates that the PFLP operates a network of 'humanitarian' organizations in order to raise funds that are funneled to terrorist activities," Gantz added.
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Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said Rashmawi's admission substantiated Israel's claims of the groups serving conduits for PFLP funds, calling on the international community to "prevent terrorist organizations from using the veneer of civilian cover."
Rashmawi is expected to be released soon since prosecutors had sought a jail term of 13 months and she was first arrested in April 2020. She faces a fine of about $16,000.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Nov. 17.
i24NEWS contributed to this report.
