Yousef, son of Hamas founder Hassan Yousef, was said to have tracked and
foiled dozens of suicide bombings by Hamas in the West Bank. In 2007, Mosab,
known by Israeli intelligence as the "Green Prince," converted to
Christianity and was allowed to re-settle in the United States.
Hamas has quietly acknowledged that the younger Yousef was an Israeli
agent, Middle East Newsline reported. His father, serving a six-year sentence in Israel, said Mosab was
blackmailed by Israel to inform on Hamas when he served a prison term in
1996.
"The members of the movement were warned about him," Hassan Yousef,
regarded as the leader of Hamas's political wing in the West Bank, said in a
statement issued through his attorney. "Mosab was not an active member in
Hamas or in any of its military, political or religious branches, or any
other body."
Mosab, 32, said he was approached by Israeli intelligence in 1996 and
urged to infiltrate the Hamas leadership. He said his relationship with the Israel
Security Agency, based on ideology rather than money, helped foil an Israeli
plan to kill his father.
"Hamas cannot make peace with the Israelis," Mosab told the Israeli
daily Haaretz. "That is against what their God tells them. It is impossible
to make peace with infidels."
Palestinian sources said Hamas's leadership in the West Bank has long
been regarded as infiltrated by Israel. They said this has eroded the
credibility of the West Bank network and made it subservient to that in the
Gaza Strip, which has been holding captive an Israeli sergeant, Gilad
Shalit, since 2006.
Israeli intelligence, particularly Mossad, was also believed to have
penetrated the Hamas leadership in Damascus. The sources said this allowed
Israel to kill Hamas procurement chief Mahmoud Al Mabhouh in the United Arab
Emirates in January 2010.
Mosab was said to have provided information that led to the arrest of
several senior Hamas commanders. They were identified as Ibrahim Hamid and
Abdullah Barghouti, both of whom planned suicide bombings in Israel,
including an assassination attempt of Shimon Peres in 2001.
"I wish I were in Gaza now," Mosab told Haaretz. "I would put on an army
uniform and join Israel's special forces in order to liberate Gilad Shalit."
