Israel on Sunday accused a French charity of providing financial help to the Palestinian radical group Hamas, according to a military intelligence document received by AFP. According to the Israelis, papers seized during army raids in Jenin and Ramallah, in the northern West Bank, showed bank transfers of several thousand euros, including a sum of EUR 45,000 for the months of January to June 2004. The papers showed correspondence between the Welfare and Rescue Committee for Palestinians and Islamic welfare groups based in the West Bank which the Jewish state charges are a cover for Hamas activities. The funds had reportedly gone to families who had lost a relative through Israeli repression or been killed in an anti-Israeli attack. According to the papers, they had also helped Palestinians rebuild houses destroyed by the Israeli army and helped prisoners and their families. Some of the funds were seized during army operations last year. Israeli military intelligence views these actions as direct or indirect aid to Hamas "terrorist infrastructures". In August 2003, the United States blocked or froze the assets of the French charity and four other Palestinian aid organisations. The charity at the time dismissed charges of support for Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist organisation by Washington and the European Union, as "ridiculous" and said its funds were used to help 3,000 Palestinian orphans.