Hamas on Thursday said the Palestinian engineer kidnapped by Israel in Ukraine in February was not a member of the Islamic movement which controls the Gaza Strip.

Dirar Abu Sisi, who appeared in an Israeli court, "has no relation with Hamas," said Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman.

Israel said that Abu Sisi, the operating manager of Gaza's only power plant, had information about Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier captured by Hamas near Gaza in 2006.

Abu Zuhri said the Israeli claim "was an attempt to cover the Israeli violation of the international law which resulted in the kidnapping of Abu Sisi from Ukraine and moving him to an Israeli prison."

Abu Zuhri blamed Ukraine for remaining silent when agents of Israel's Mossad intelligence kidnapped the Gaza native on its territories.

An Israeli court extended the holding of Abu Sisi, 42, to April 3 for indictment.

Abu Sisi, who is married to a Ukrainian, was in Ukraine applying for citizenship when he was kidnapped.