Israel's Terror Victims Association "Almagor" congratulated the nation's security forces Tuesday on their re-arrest of five dangerous Fatah terrorists – but asked why they were ever released in the first place.
The IDF announced Tuesday afternoon that during July and August, it arrested five terrorists known as the Tanzim – members of Fatah's militant wing – from the village of Silwad near Ramallah. The arrests were carried out in conjunction with the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet).
The terrorists are responsible for having carried out a number of terrorist attacks in and around Highway 60, the main north-south route in Judea and Samaria, according to the IDF Spokesman. On July 9, around 6:00 in the morning, two of the arrested men attempted to murder the passengers of an Israeli vehicle traveling near Silwad. They fired shots at the car, but no one was hurt.
Dozens of Israelis have been murdered in similar roadside shootings over the past several years.
After an initial investigation, security forces arrested gunmen Maharan Iad and Tzalach Chamed, and later Mustafa Chamed. All three have been arrested in the past for their active participation and membership in a Fatah group known for violence against Arabs suspected of cooperating with Israel.
Iad admitted to planning the attack with the other two over the course of a few days, during which they looked for the optimal location to carry it out.
The investigation also showed that both Mustafa and Tzalach were involved in at least one shooting attack in the area during 2005.
Two additional Tanzim operatives, Jamil Chamed and Rami Chamed, were also arrested during the course of the investigation. The two men admitted to active participation in a number of terror attacks during the years-long terrorist war that began in 2000.
Almagor to Justice Minister: Why Were They Released?
Israel's Terror Victims Association released this announcement: “We have asked the Justice Minister, Yaakov Ne’eman, to publicly reveal the circumstances under which these terrorists were previously arrested, and how and why they were released.
"The Israeli public must know the price it pays when the government agrees to release terrorists, and when it makes gestures to the Fatah organizations and its various arms that are sheltered by the Palestinian Authority and thus enjoy various benefits.”
“This information must certainly be released in time to enable a public debate about a deal with Hamas for the release of [kidnapped IDF soldier] Gilad Shalit,” added Almagor founder Col. (res.) Meir Indor. “This is especially true against the backdrop of media reports that the Netanyahu government intends to pay a price that the previous government refused to pay.”