Israeli Army Raids Home of Freed Hamas Member Amid Tensions Over Hostage Deal
The Israeli military raided the Jerusalem home of a Hamas member released as part of an exchange for Israelis being held hostage in Gaza, detaining one person and roughing up others on Saturday evening, including a New York Times reporter conducting interviews at the scene.A squad of soldiers forced its way into the house on the outskirts of Jerusalem and disrupted an event marking the early release of Ashraf Zughayer, a Hamas member imprisoned in 2002 for driving terrorists to the locations of their attacks.Among them was a suicide bomber who killed six civilians by blowing up a bus.
According to court documents, Mr.Zughayer confessed to the charges.Mr.
Zughayer, 46, was released on Saturday afternoon along with 199 other prisoners.Overseen by a colonel, the soldiers entered the Zughayer family’s building with their rifles raised and assaulted several people, including Mr.Zughayer’s father and a Times reporter conducting interviews.
The soldiers detained Mr.Zughayer’s brother and expelled journalists, then left about an hour later.For years, Israeli security services have discouraged and often broken up family events celebrating the release of Palestinian militants, saying that the gatherings provoke unrest, lionize terrorists and inspire support for violence.
Critics say the interventions increase Palestinian antipathy for Israel, prolonging a cycle of violence.Israel has been particularly assertive in suppressing celebrations for detainees released under the terms of the cease-fire in Gaza.Israeli officials are concerned that they may help bolster the popularity of Hamas, which led the Oct.
7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed up to 1,200 people.Dozens of the Palestinians released on Saturday were sent into exile in Egypt instead of being allowed to return home, in part for that reason.The Israeli military said in a statement that it had raided the Zughayer family’s house because it “received intelligence and videos of gunfire and incitement to t...