Israel arrests Hamas terrorist for failing to wear a seatbelt
Israeli police have arrested a senior Hamas terrorist for traffic violations during celebrations over his prison release.
Israel’s government has begun releasing thousands of terrorists—many of whom are serving life sentences for multiple murders—back onto Israel’s streets in exchange for the gradual release of hostages. Most recently, the government agreed to set free 602 terrorists in exchange for the bodies of four murdered Israelis and previously released hostages.
One of the freed terrorists is Ashraf Zghayer, a 46-year-old senior member of Hamas who was serving six life sentences in prison, according to JFeed. In 2002, Zghayer helped a suicide bomber blow up a bus on Tel Aviv’s busy Allenby Street, killing six and wounding 60.
Upon his recent return to East Jerusalem, Zghayer was greeted by cheering crowds of Palestinians celebrating his release. He stuck his body out of the car to wave to the revelers, which prompted the Israel Police to arrest and charge him for not wearing a seatbelt. His two relatives riding in the car with him were charged for doing the same.
Israel deliberately takes a weak approach
The news shocked Israelis who are already reeling from their government’s decision to free thousands of terrorists, recalling that similar prisoner swaps in past years have resulted in the further killing of Israeli civilians. But the Israeli government has long been a proponent of such deals, which have served to swell the ranks of Islamic terror groups like Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Being released in prisoner exchanges has come to be an expectation for many Islamic terror operatives in Israel.
Israel’s massive concessions to Hamas since the October 7th massacre—which directly place Israeli civilians in mortal peril—appears to have surprised President Trump. The president gave Israel carte blanche to destroy Hamas earlier this month when he issued the terror group an ultimatum to release every Israeli hostage by 12:00 PM on Saturday the 15th or “all hell is going to break out.” But the Netanyahu administration undermined Trump’s tough stance and opted instead to negotiate lopsided prisoner swaps.
In the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump distanced himself from Israel’s shocking approach by diplomatically telling reporters that he would have dealt with Hamas “differently” than Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (referred to by Israeli medi with his nickname "Bibi").
“I said it from that point [of my ultimatum], it's up to Bibi Netanyahu and Israel,” the president said. “I may have taken a different stance ... I said well if they're not going to release any there'll be hell to pay. But the rest is really up to him. I might have done it differently than [Netanyahu]. It’s not my decision, it’s his decision.”
Is Israel ready to divorce Hamas?
Israel’s hesitation to destroy Hamas since October 7th suggests it is not ready to divorce the terror group, which is the brainchild of the Israeli government. Israel acknowledged creating Hamas in the 1980s, ostensibly as controlled opposition to Yassir Arafat’s Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Since then, Israel has protected Hamas financially, both via Qatar and “humanitarian aid.” In 2020, when Qatar wanted to discontinue financing to Hamas, then-Mossad chief Yossi Cohen flew to Doha, on Netanyahu's orders, and convinced Qatari officials to maintain its payments to the terror group.
Even before October 7th, the Israeli government has been ensuring a steady stream of “humanitarian aid” to Gaza. It is an open secret that most if not all aid delivered to Gaza becomes the property of Hamas. Ronen Bar, the head of Israel’s Security Agency, said in January 2024 that as much as 70% of aid that reaches Gaza is given to Hamas terrorists. Rafael Hayon, an Israeli citizen who monitors Hamas communications, recently alleged that Hamas was prepared to surrender earlier in the war until they suddenly received a major influx of food, water, and fuel.
