Israeli authorities on Monday indicted three Hamas terrorists captured in the Gaza Strip, marking the first formal charges against Palestinian suspects from the territory since the outbreak of the war on October 7, 2023. The accused — Mahmoud Qawasme, Ali Hamdallah, and Amar Asaida — were among the 1,027 prisoners released in 2011 as part of a deal to secure the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. According to a statement from the Israel Police, after their deportation to Gaza, the three men resumed their involvement with Hamas, taking up senior roles in the group’s “West Bank Headquarters.” The indictment alleges that the trio orchestrated over 120 terrorist attacks targeting Israeli security forces and civilians in Yehuda and Shomron. Evidence collected includes hundreds of testimonies linking them to numerous operations, the police said. Qawasme, Hamdallah, and Asaida were apprehended during an IDF raid on Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital in March. The military court has charged them with multiple offenses, including membership in a terrorist organization, causing deaths, kidnappings, terror financing, and weapons trafficking. Israel Police Yehuda and Shomron District Chief Cmdr. Moshe Pinchi described the indictments as a milestone in the ongoing investigation into the October 7 attacks. “For the first time since the start of the war, indictments were filed in an Israeli court today against Hamas terrorists for their intention to carry out terror attacks,” Pinchi said. “This represents a significant achievement in delivering justice for the victims of these heinous acts.” During the initial October 7 invasion, approximately 6,000 terrorists from Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other groups breached Israeli borders. Israeli security forces killed around 1,000 of the attackers, while hundreds were captured. In response to the unprecedented attack, Israeli lawmakers have proposed establishing a special tribunal to investigate and prosecute those involved in the October 7 atrocities. According to reports, Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and other legal authorities believe the current judicial system is inadequate to handle the scale and complexity of these cases. The proposed tribunal would aim to expose the ideology, funding, and operations behind Hamas, presenting its findings to the international community. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)