Israel convicts Hamas members
2013-02-14 21:44
Jerusalem - An Israeli court on Thursday found two senior
Hamas members who had taken refuge in Red Cross east Jerusalem offices guilty
of "membership of a terror organisation" and staying in Israel
without permits.
Former Palestinian minister for Jerusalem affairs Khaled
Abu Arafeh and Hamas MP Mohammed Totah had barricaded themselves in the
International Committee of the Red Cross offices on 1 July 2010, but were
arrested on 23 January 2012.
The ICRC compound is in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood
of occupied east Jerusalem.
The Thursday ruling at the Jerusalem district court,
provided to AFP, was part of a plea bargain the two reached with the
prosecution.
Sentencing is due to begin on 26 February.
Israel has stepped up arrests of Hamas members in the
West Bank, in part to prevent a rising tide of low-intensity conflict and civil
unrest from turning into an uprising.
Last week, 25 Hamas members were arrested in raids across
the West Bank, three of them members of the Palestinian parliament.
Palestinian security forces rounded up at least 25 more.
Hamas has 74 members in the 132-seat Palestinian
Authority Legislative Council, which is based in Ramallah.
Fifteen Hamas lawmakers are currently being held by
Israel.
