Senior Hamas official arrested for incitement to terrorism

The suspect, Hassan Yousef, a co-founder of Hamas, serves as one of its leaders in the Judea and Samaria region.

By Aryeh Savir/TPS

The Israel Police stated Sunday that it completed an investigation of a suspect arrested for inciting terrorism and supporting a terrorist organization.

The suspect is Hassan Yousef, a co-founder of Hamas who serves as one of its leaders in the Judea and Samaria region.

The Jerusalem District conducted an investigation against Yousef, a resident of Beitunia in his 60s, on suspicion of committing incitement to terrorism and supporting a terrorist organization.

He was arrested for questioning on December 13 and his detention was extended from time to time “to finish the investigative actions.”

The investigation began after the shooting attack in the Old City at the end of November, during which a Hamas-linked terrorist shot and killed Eli Kay and wounded three others. The terrorist was killed by Israeli forces.

Yousef arrived at the mourning tent of the terrorist’s family, where he expressed his praise of the actions of the terrorist and conveyed the condolences of the Hamas terror organization to his family.

He was arrested and an indictment is expected to be filed against him this week by the military prosecutor’s office.

The Israel Police will “continue to fight together with the security forces against terrorism, and the offenses of incitement and support for terrorism for the sake of public peace and security,” it stated.

Yousef has been arrested by the Israeli authorities multiple times, starting from 1993. According to the Palestinian Information Center, Yousef has spent over 23 years in Israeli prisons for terrorism-related offenses.

He has previously been arrested for similar offenses.