Israeli legal and security authorities are finalizing an indictment against Basel Salahieh, a high-ranking official in Hamas's military wing, who has been held in a custody facility in Israel since his arrest two years ago, journalist Avishai Grinzaig reported on i24NEWS.
About five years ago, a severe rift erupted within Hamas's top leadership when Salahieh leveled accusations of treason against Marwan Issa. The direct confrontation led to a deep fallout between Salahieh and top Hamas commanders Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif, ultimately prompting Sinwar to throw him into a Gaza prison.
At the onset of the war, the detention facility where Salahieh was incarcerated was struck by the Israeli Air Force. Following the destruction of the prison, Hamas terrorists transferred him to house arrest in the Hamad Residential City complex. During the subsequent ground offensive, IDF troops raided the apartment where he was being kept, taking him into custody and bringing him to Israel for interrogation.
Salahieh's capture marks a significant intelligence milestone and settles a long-standing score dating back to 2011. He was the key mastermind behind a lethal Kornet anti-tank missile attack targeting a school bus, which killed a 16-year-old boy.