Palestinians demonstrate in solidarity with Islamic Jihad member Hisham Abu Hawash in Ramallah, Jan. 2, 2022. (AP/Majdi Mohammed)
Hamas hails terrorist’s “victory over the Zionists,” right-wing lawmakers and NGO representing families of terror victims say Israeli is folding to terror.
By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News
Security prisoner Hisham Abu Hawash has agreed to end his 141-day hunger strike in protest of his administrative detention, with a promise from the Israeli government that he will be released in the near future, Palestinian Authority Mohammad Shtayyeh said on Wednesday morning.
He is expected to be released on February 26, 2022.
The decision came after Israeli Knesset members from the Arab Joint List party visited Abu Hawash in the hospital, and the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups threatened revenge if the convicted terrorist dies.
Abu Hawash, who previously spent eight years in Israeli prisons after being convicted of various terror charges, has been held by Israeli in administrative detention since October 2020 – meaning that he has been incarcerated without being charged with a crime.
The Israeli government has stated that the reasons for Abu Hawash’s detainment must remain classified in order to protect national security.
A report from Arabic language daily Al Quds on Tuesday indicated that Egypt had sent a security delegation into the Gaza Strip in order to try to prevent violent escalation, and had reached out to the Israeli government to lobby for Abu Hawash’s release.
In a phone call with terrorist’s family, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said that “we are responsible for him” and that “all the prisoners will achieve victory and be released.”
“Palestine and its capital, Jerusalem, will be liberated,” Abbas claimed.
In a statement, a Hamas spokesman congratulated Abu Hawash “on his victory over the Zionist prisons, he has once again demonstrated the ability of the Palestinian people to show resilience and forcibly achieve their victories over Israel.”
Religious Zionism MK Itamar Ben Gvir said “it’s just incredible that the Shin Bet security agency and the Israeli government are giving in and folding to Hamas and Islamic Jihad prisoners.”
He added that “terrorist elements have learned the [way]” to humiliate Israel.
“The Israeli government is giving in with frightening cowardice and not for the first time. This is not how you fight terrorism,” said the Choose Life Forum, an organization representing the families of terror victims and slain IDF soldiers.
“This is not how you create deterrence. A hunger-striking terrorist should be hospitalized in prison until they stop or die, without the media and without visits from all kinds of terrorist supporters.”
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