Israel Free Hamas: Wait and See
IDF: Hamas detainees could go free if Shalit is released
By HERB KEINON AND YAAKOV KATZ
Deputy-speaker of the Palestinian Parliament Ahmed Bahr commenting at a news conference in Gaza City on the arrests of the Hamas officials.Photo: AP
June 30, 2006
Video
Israel will consider releasing the 64 Hamas activists it rounded up early Thursday morning if IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit is freed, OC Central Command Maj.-Gen. Yair Naveh said Thursday.
"The possibility exists," Naveh said. "The diplomatic echelon can decide to release the Hamas officials if the soldier is returned to us." Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said the primary goal of the operation "is to bring about Shalit's release. If he is released, this would dramatically deescalate the situation."
Regev said that Thursday's arrests in the West Bank showed that "Israel rejects the unofficial distinction that has been made within Hamas of a military and political wing."
All told, eight of Hamas's 23 cabinet ministers and 20 of its 72 lawmakers were arrested. The detainees included such senior figures as Finance Minister Omar Abdel Razek, Labor Minister Muhammad Barghouti, parliament member Muhammad Abu Tir and the mayors of Kalkilya and Jenin.
"From a legal point of view there is no problem arresting them, because they are members of a terrorist group," Regev said.
The arrests took place Thursday, Regev said, because "Hamas has escalated their terrorism against us. Hamas is responsible for Sunday's attack, and is responsible for the rocket fire on Sderot; we are being proactive against them."
Naveh stressed that while the arrests were connected to the events in Gaza and efforts to retrieve the kidnapped soldier, they were meant primarily to destroy Hamas terror infrastructure in the West Bank. "They were first and foremost arrested due to their involvement in terror," he explained.
He said that the prosecution had collected sufficient evidence to press charges against the politicians who would be tried in an Israeli court of law and whom he said each had skeletons in their closets.
"Hamas has already weeks ago begun engaging in terror activity and in rocket attacks against Israel," he said at a press conference at Central Command headquarters in Jerusalem. "This has led to a new situation in which the [Hamas] ministers transfer funds [to terror groups], assist terror groups and operate acts of terror."
The arrest operation was carried out simultaneously throughout the night across the West Bank in cities like Hebron, Ramallah and Jenin. No one was hurt during the raids, which were all finished before dawn. The detainees were all transferred into Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) custody and were interrogated throughout the day.
The Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that the arrests were taken "within the context of a normal legal criminal procedure with the intention of questioning those who were arrested." The arrested men, according to the ministry, are suspected of criminal offenses such as membership in a terrorist organization.
"Those arrested will be entitled to legal defense," the ministry statement said, "and their detention and questioning will be subject to judicial review. In the event that there is no basis for putting someone among those arrested on trial, that person will be released."
Earlier in the day, Defense Minister Amir Peretz said that Israel would continue cracking down on Hamas terror suspects without regard to their political status. "This move proves that no one in Hamas is above the law," he said.
Israeli diplomatic officials said that while statements coming from the US and Europe expressed concern about an escalation, they were not especially strong in their condemnation of Israel's move. Foreign Ministry sources said that neither Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni nor Prime Minister Ehud Olmert were phoned by colleagues abroad demanding that Israel cease and desist. Continued
By HERB KEINON AND YAAKOV KATZ
Deputy-speaker of the Palestinian Parliament Ahmed Bahr commenting at a news conference in Gaza City on the arrests of the Hamas officials.Photo: AP
June 30, 2006
Video
Israel will consider releasing the 64 Hamas activists it rounded up early Thursday morning if IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit is freed, OC Central Command Maj.-Gen. Yair Naveh said Thursday.
"The possibility exists," Naveh said. "The diplomatic echelon can decide to release the Hamas officials if the soldier is returned to us." Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said the primary goal of the operation "is to bring about Shalit's release. If he is released, this would dramatically deescalate the situation."
Regev said that Thursday's arrests in the West Bank showed that "Israel rejects the unofficial distinction that has been made within Hamas of a military and political wing."
All told, eight of Hamas's 23 cabinet ministers and 20 of its 72 lawmakers were arrested. The detainees included such senior figures as Finance Minister Omar Abdel Razek, Labor Minister Muhammad Barghouti, parliament member Muhammad Abu Tir and the mayors of Kalkilya and Jenin.
"From a legal point of view there is no problem arresting them, because they are members of a terrorist group," Regev said.
The arrests took place Thursday, Regev said, because "Hamas has escalated their terrorism against us. Hamas is responsible for Sunday's attack, and is responsible for the rocket fire on Sderot; we are being proactive against them."
Naveh stressed that while the arrests were connected to the events in Gaza and efforts to retrieve the kidnapped soldier, they were meant primarily to destroy Hamas terror infrastructure in the West Bank. "They were first and foremost arrested due to their involvement in terror," he explained.
He said that the prosecution had collected sufficient evidence to press charges against the politicians who would be tried in an Israeli court of law and whom he said each had skeletons in their closets.
"Hamas has already weeks ago begun engaging in terror activity and in rocket attacks against Israel," he said at a press conference at Central Command headquarters in Jerusalem. "This has led to a new situation in which the [Hamas] ministers transfer funds [to terror groups], assist terror groups and operate acts of terror."
The arrest operation was carried out simultaneously throughout the night across the West Bank in cities like Hebron, Ramallah and Jenin. No one was hurt during the raids, which were all finished before dawn. The detainees were all transferred into Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) custody and were interrogated throughout the day.
The Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that the arrests were taken "within the context of a normal legal criminal procedure with the intention of questioning those who were arrested." The arrested men, according to the ministry, are suspected of criminal offenses such as membership in a terrorist organization.
"Those arrested will be entitled to legal defense," the ministry statement said, "and their detention and questioning will be subject to judicial review. In the event that there is no basis for putting someone among those arrested on trial, that person will be released."
Earlier in the day, Defense Minister Amir Peretz said that Israel would continue cracking down on Hamas terror suspects without regard to their political status. "This move proves that no one in Hamas is above the law," he said.
Israeli diplomatic officials said that while statements coming from the US and Europe expressed concern about an escalation, they were not especially strong in their condemnation of Israel's move. Foreign Ministry sources said that neither Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni nor Prime Minister Ehud Olmert were phoned by colleagues abroad demanding that Israel cease and desist. Continued
posted by HRM Deborah of Israel and the Messenger of Peace at 1:24 AM
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