UN Engineer Charged by Israel with Aiding Hamas

"A senior United Nations engineer in the Gaza Strip was arraigned Thursday in Beersheba District Court on charges that he abused his post in order to aid Hamas, including using the construction of a port as a base of operations for its naval commandos.

After the court confirmed that Wahid Abdullah al-Bursh, 38, from Jabalya understood the charges, Bursh's attorney, Lea Tsemel, said she would be filing several pretrial motions against them...

According to the Shin Bet, Bursh was approached shortly after the 2014 Gaza war (Operation Protective Edge) by Husseini Suleiman, a messenger for senior Hamas commander Abu Anas al-Andor, who asked him to use his position to help the terrorist organization.

In April and May 2015, he allegedly helped build the naval commando port in the northern Gaza Strip.

Bursh is said to have used his authority to transfer 300 tons of construction materials to the site. He also is alleged to have convinced his manager at UNDP to give preference to rehabilitation projects in areas where Hamas agents were operating..."