Israel citizen indicted for helping Hamas

Israeli District Court in Be’er Sheva on Sunday convicted an Israeli Jew from a town on the peripheries of the Gaza Strip for helping the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, local media reported.

According to Arutz Sheva news website, Michael Peretz from Moshav Mivtahim was convicted of illegal dealings with Hamas.

He was convicted of attempting to smuggle materials with dual use to Gaza without coordination and without a permit.

According to the indictment, Peretz allegedly knew that a Gaza merchant was delivering the goods to Hamas. Peretz had been warned about this, but he continued dealing with this merchant indirectly.

READ: Israel minister to oppose any prisoner exchange deal with Hamas

The Israeli news website added: “At the same time, he was acquitted on charges of aiding an enemy during wartime.”

The court said about Peretz’s case: “Even if we take a lenient attitude toward the defendant, because he didn’t intend to undermine national security … he still committed actions that did undermine national security.”