The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas sought out advanced mapping software from a Turkish aid organization in order to improve the accuracy of rockets fired at Israel, the Shin Bet intelligence agency announced.

While questioning Muhammad Murtaja, who was arrested last month on suspicions that he diverted Turkish aid money to Hamas, the Shin Bet discovered that the Islamist terrorist group asked  the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) over the past two years for satellite mapping programs that would help it to gain more accuracy when launching rockets.

According to the Shin Bet’s investigation, Hamas used Google Maps to target Israel during Operation Protective Edge in 2014, but those rockets that weren’t intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system mostly missed their targets.

Murtaja, the head of the Gaza branch of the Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency, was accused by the Shin Bet of diverting “millions of shekels” in aid for needy Gazans to Hamas. He is believed to have carried out the embezzlement with the knowledge of Hamas’ leadership. Following his recruitment, Murtaja also participated in “training and military exercises, manufacturing weapons and improvised explosive devices and digging terror tunnels,” the Shin Bet added.

Israel is also seeking Mehmet Kaya, the head of IHH, for diverting funds to Hamas. The IHH was behind the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla, which attempted to break Israel’s legal naval blockade of Gaza. The group is considered a terrorist organization by Israel and the Netherlands and is banned by Germany for its support of Hamas.

[Photo: Farshad Brahimi / Flickr]