Mosab Hassan Yousef said he became a spy for Israel’s intelligence service and converted to Christianity before moving to California in 2007.

He went public earlier this year when he published his memoir called Son of Hamas.

Mr Yousef argued he would be killed if he was deported to the Palestinian territories.

Judge Rico Bartolomei ruled that Mr Yousef will be allowed to remain in the US pending a routine background check, Associated Press news agency said.