Israel captures Hamas commander shortly after his release from Palestinian prison

Special to WorldTribune.com

RAMALLAH — Israel has ended a 15-year hunt with the capture of a leading Hamas military operative.

On March 4, the Israel Army arrested Ayoub Kawasmeh in Hebron in what was deemed one of the most important operations against Hamas.

_40387725_west_hebron_map203Kawasmeh, sought since 1998, was identified as one of the few remaining commanders in Hamas’ military wing who escaped Israeli capture over the last decade.

“We believe that he still has relevant information on Hamas and its methods,” a military source said.

The source said Kawasmeh, 50, did not resist arrest when he was surrounded by an undercover Army unit. He said the army had received intelligence on Kawasmeh’s whereabouts.

Kawasmeh was captured about two weeks after he was released by the Palestinian Authority. He spent nearly three years in a PA prison in what appeared to be part of an attempt to protect the Hamas operative.

“It was clear that when the PA released him, they knew we would pick him up,” the source said.

The military has not linked Kawasmeh to Hamas operations in the West
Bank over the last three years. The source said Kawasmeh, a member of a
leading clan in Hebron, was wanted mostly for attacks on Israeli soldiers
and civilians in the 1990s.

But the source said Kawasmeh was believed to have sought to rebuild
Hamas cells in the Hebron area. They said Kawasmeh apparently began the
effort while in a PA prison.

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