World Vision Australia CEO Tim Costello told SBS he is "shocked and completely mystified" to learn Israel had charged World Vision Gaza director Mohammad El Halabi for funneling millions of dollars from the charity to Hamas, which the Islamist militant group denied.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has suspended funding to the charity World Vision for programs in the Palestinian Territories until further notice.
It comes after Israel said World Vision's Gaza director Mohammad El Halabi had diverted millions of dollars from the charity to Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.
Hamas denies the claims, and World Vision is calling for a fair legal process.
The charity says in a statement its programs are subject to intense scrutiny, with regular internal and independent audits.
