A military court has formally charged Mohammed Salah, a Palestinian American, with funneling money to the Islamic fundamentalist organization Hamas.
Salah, who appeared Sunday before a court in the West Bank city of Ramallah, is one of two Americans of Palestinian descent arrested in January for raising funds for Hamas.
The army charged Salah with “executing services for Hamas activists” and said funds distributed by Salah were used to buy several semi-automatic rifles, pistols and ammunition.
Salah, who was also personally accused of being a member of Hamas, was ordered held in custody pending the outcome of his trial.
The prosecution is scheduled to begin introducing its first witnesses on April 19.
Salah’s lawyer, Ahlam Haddad, said his client, who lives in Chicago, was charged with distributing $100,000 to activists during a visit to Israel in August of last year.
He was also charged with funneling $52,000 during his visit this January, before he was arrested.
Salah is one of four Palestinian Americans detained by Israel since January.
Authorities are still holding Mohammed Jarad of Chicago and Anwar Hamdan Dahdoul of Lafayette Hills, Pa. Dahdoul was arrested Feb. 28 in the West Bank village of Ramallah.
Security officials say the three men worked together.
Another Palestinian American, arrested on unrelated charges, was released, on the order of a military judge.
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