This evening, Palestinian affairs expert Ohad Hemo cautioned about the threat posed by the dangerous terrorist Abd al-Nasser Issa, who is currently imprisoned in Israel. He described Issa as one of the most perilous prisoners in the country. According to Hemo, Issa could potentially become a figure like Marwan Issa, a prominent member of Hamas’ political bureau who played a key role in bridging the military and political arms of the organization.
Issa, who is slated for release, holds significant sway among security prisoners and maintains strong ties with terrorist groups operating outside of prison. He is a follower of Yahya Ayyash, known as “the Engineer,” and was entrusted by Ayyash with overseeing Hamas operations in the West Bank. Issa’s criminal history began in 1984 when he was arrested and sentenced to two and a half years for his role in a cell that threw explosives and Molotov cocktails at IDF patrols.
Also among those set to be freed is Nael Barghouti, who was convicted of murdering bus driver Mordechai Yekuel in 1978. Additionally, the leader of Hamas prisoners for the past four years, Salama Katawi, will be released. Katawi, arrested in 2009 for his involvement in military activities, had been serving a 15-year sentence. Another notable release is Bilal Abu Ganem, who was sentenced to three life terms for his role in a 2015 terrorist attack on Jerusalem’s Route 78 bus, which resulted in the deaths of three Israelis.
Other prisoners being released include Halil Jabarin Abu-Hamid, who was convicted of the 2018 murder of Ari Fuld in a shopping center at Gush Etzion Junction, and sentenced to life imprisonment. Along with him, Omar al-Zaban, sentenced to 27 life sentences and 25 years in prison for his involvement in several deadly terrorist attacks, will also be freed. Al-Zaban, a senior figure in the Hamas military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, has been responsible for attacks that led to the deaths of 27 Israelis.
Finally, Samer Makhroom, who has spent 38 years in prison after being convicted of murdering a yeshiva student in Jerusalem in 1986, and Ala’a A-Din Al-Bazian, sentenced to 42 years for his involvement in multiple terrorist activities, including the kidnapping of three Israeli teenagers from Gush Etzion in June 2014, will both be released.
{Matzav.com Israel}