Israel Matzav

Israel agreed to free Barghouti, Saadat and Asayed?

As expected, Prime Minister Ehud K. Olmert announced tonight that Israel could not reach a deal with Hamas to release kidnapped IDF corporal Gilad Shalit. At today's cabinet meeting, the cabinet was given the names of ten prisoners that the government agreed to release and ten prisoners that the government refused to release. In an unprecedented move, the government released the names of the ten prisoners they refused to release. Here are the ten prisoners the government refused to release.

# Hassan Salama - Given 38 life sentences in prison in 1998 for murdering dozens of Israelis in bomb attacks. Among other terror attacks, he planned an Ashkelon suicide bombing which killed a soldier, and two bus bombing attacks in Jerusalem in 1996 which killed 44 people.

# Bahij Badar - Arrested in 2004 and given 18 life sentences for planning attacks which killed 18 Israelis. He is considered a major figure in the Hamas movement.

# Abdallah Barghouti - Given 67 life sentences for his role in a string of terror attacks which killed 66 Israelis, and wounded 500 others. Among the attacks which he planned were the 'Sbarro' and Moment Cafe bombings in Jerusalem.

# Mahmoud Hassan Ahmoud Arman - Convicted in 2002 for his direct role in a series of attacks which claimed 34 Israeli lives. Along with being involved in planning the Moment Cafe bombing, he was the architect of the bombings at a cafeteria in Hebrew University and a night club in Rishon Letzion.

# Ibrahim Hamed - Convicted for his role in a string of attacks which murdered 82 Israelis and wounded hundreds more, including a 2001 double suicide attack in Jerusalem's Zion Square which killed 11 people.

# Abbas A-Sayid - Until his imprisonment he served as the head of the Hamas movement in Tulkarem. He was convicted for a number of deadly attacks against Israel, including a suicide bombing in the Hasharon Mall in Netanya which killed 5 Israelis.

# Mohand Sarim - One of the planners of the Park Hotel bombing in Netanya, which killed 29 Israelis and wounded 64 others in Passover 2002.

# Ra'ad Hutari - Caught in 2003 and convicted for recruiting a number of suicide bombers, included the one who perpetrated the 2001 attack at the Dolphinarium in Tel Aviv, which killed 22 people and wounded 83 others.

# Jamal Abu Al-Hija - Formerly the head of Hamas's military wing in Jenin. He was sentenced to 9 life terms in prison for his role in a number of terror attacks, including a car bombing near a Hadera mall which killed 2 people and wounded 64 others.

# Mua'at Balal - Given 26 life terms for his role in a string of attacks in Israel, including a 1997 suicide bombing in the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem, which killed 18 Israelis. He was also directly involved in the 1997 suicide attack on Ben Yehuda street in Jerusalem, which killed 8 people and wounded 200 others.

Note who is not on this list: Ahmed Saadat (planner of the assassination of Israel's Minister of Tourism Rechavam Zeevi), Marwan Barghouti (head of the Fatah Tanzim terror organization) and Abbas Asayed (planner of the Seder Night massacre at the Park Hotel in Netanya in 2002). Apparently, Israel had agreed to free them. Unbelievable.

UPDATE 12:29 AM

YNet lists the ten examples of terrorists Israel was willing to release, provided that they not be released to Judea and Samaria (Hat Tip: Alouette via Little Green Footballs).

Israel did, however, agree to release 10 of the controversial prisoners demanded by Hamas, on stipulation that they be expelled from the West Bank:

1. Ata Latif Shakir – jailed for the 1985 murder of IDF soldier Akiva Shaltiel.
2. Nasser Abdullah Nizal - head of Hamas headquarters in the West Bank city of Qalqilya, jailed for his involvement in a 2002 suicide attack on Ramat Gan's Bar Ilan Junction.
3. Ziad Kilani – jailed for the 2001 attack on the Mei Ami Junction in northern Israel, which left one Israeli dead.
4. Said Yusuf Badarna – jailed for his involvement in the 1994 Independence Day suicide attack in Hadera, just north of Tel Aviv, which left five Israelis dead.
5. Muhammad Taher al-Karem – jailed for his involvement in a 2001 suicide attack in Haifa which left 15 Israelis dead.
6. Walid Ajnes – currently serving 26 consecutive life sentences for his involvement in suicide attacks in Jerusalem and the central Israeli city of Rishon Lezion, which numbered 37 dead.
7. Ibrahim Shamasna - jailed for his involvement in the murder of four Israelis.
8. Iyad Shalalda – jailed for the 2002 murder Sasson Nuriel.
9. Adris Rajbi – jailed for his involvement in a series of terror attacks which left 22 Israelis dead.
10. Fadi Juabeh - currently serving 26 consecutive life sentences for his involvement in a 2003 suicide attacks in Haifa, which left 17 Israelis dead.

Palestinian source who review this list said that most of the name on in "were long gone from Palestinian consciousness."

Now that I re-read the lists, it is possible that A-Sayid and Asayed are the same person. Maybe the government did not agree to release him.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:18 PM