Israel

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Suspect in Murder of Israeli Police Cmdr Was Freed in 2011 Shalit Deal

It was reported Monday that Israel had charged Ziad Awad and his son Izzedin Hassan Ziad in the Passover eve killing of police commander Baruch Mizrahi. Mizrahi’s pregnant wife Hadas and a son were injured in the attack.

The New York Times reports on the arrests:

Ziad Awad, now 42, was freed from a life sentence for murdering Palestinians suspected of collaborating with Israel as part of the 2011 deal Israel made with the militant group Hamas after the soldier, Gilad Shalit, spent five years in captivity in the Gaza Strip.

The authorities said Mr. Awad and his 18-year-old son, Izzedin Hassan Ziad Awad, were arrested May 7 for the April 14 slaying of the police commander, Baruch Mizrahi, but the information was made public only on Monday, amid Israel’s aggressive crackdown on Hamas, which it holds responsible for the recent kidnapping of three Israeli teenagers.

Prisoner releases are controversial in Israel. In order to keep peace talks going with the Palestinian Authority during the past year, Israel released 78 prisoners before their scheduled parole, despite indications that released prisoners lead to greater levels of violence. These security concerns are magnified by the enthusiastic receptions given the prisoners by Palestinian society, and the lack of remorse expressed by the prisoners.

During Operation Brother’s Keeper, the IDF has re-arrested at least 50 prisoners who were released in the Shalit deal. It was reported on Tuesday that Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein has ordered the arrest of seven more of those released for violating the terms of their release.

[Source: JewishNewsOne / YouTube ]