Hamas rally in Gaza
Hamas rally in GazaAbed Rahim Khatib/Flash 90

An Israeli court on Sunday postponed a hearing for a UN worker accused of aiding the Hamas terrorist organization after a dispute over whether he should be immune from prosecution, reported AFP.

Israel arrested Waheed Al-Borsh, an employee of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for assisting Hamas, on July 16.

On Sunday, Borsh appeared briefly in court in the southern city of Be'er Sheva, where his lawyer, Lea Tsemel, said the 38-year-old was innocent and that they had requested more time to be able to prove it.

Borsh declined comment when approached by AFP. The hearing was rescheduled for September 29.

Last Thursday, the UN’s Office of Legal Affairs (OLA) demanded that Borsh be released on grounds of “diplomatic immunity”.

Israel swiftly rejected the demand, saying that “those who support terror cannot hide behind the claim of immunity.”

Borsh, an engineer from Jabaliya in northern Gaza, is accused by Israel of being recruited by a Hamas member to "redirect his work for UNDP to serve Hamas's military interests".

He was charged with diverting 300 tons of rubble from a UNDP project in Gaza, run by Hamas, to build a jetty for the Islamist movement's naval force.

After reviewing the charge sheet, the UNDP challenged Israel's allegations and said Borsh diverted the rubble under instructions from the Palestinian Authority.