Israel to hold body of dead Palestinian terrorist as bargaining chip
Outgoing Defence Minister Benny Gantz decided on Wednesday morning not to return the body of a Palestinian terrorist who died of cancer while serving multiple life sentences.
Palestinians in Gaza stage a symbolic funeral for Nasser Abu Hamid, a terrorist who died of cancer while serving multiple life sentences in Israel, Dec. 20, 2022. Photo by Majdi Fathi/TPS
Nasser Abu Hmeid, who was imprisoned for terror attacks which killed seven Israelis died of cancer on Tuesday morning at the Yitzhak Shamir Medical Center in Rishon LeTziyon.
Israel sometimes holds the bodies of dead Palestinian terrorists. Israeli officials say holding the bodies deters future attacks. The policy also gives Israel leverage with Hamas, which holds the bodies of two Israeli soldiers killed in 2014, and two Israeli civilians. Terror victims also object to the large numbers of Palestinians attending terrorists’ funerals and inciting more violence.
The Israeli Prison Service dismissed Palestinian accusations that they neglected Hmeid’s health, saying he “received regular and close care from IPS medical staff and external professionals.”
Palestinians on Twitter claimed Israel’s refusal to return Hmeid’s body was to hide evidence that prison authorities allowed him to die.
Hmeid was convicted in 2002 of murdering seven Israelis and 12 other counts of attempted murder and other terror charges. Hmeid has been serving multiple life sentences. He was diagnosed with cancer in August.
In 1990, Israel convicted Hmeid of killing five Palestinians accused of collaborating with Israel, but he was released after the 1993 signing of the Oslo accords.
Hmeid was one of the original founders of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a terror organization affiliated with the ruling Fatah party. The Brigades were responsible for numerous suicide bombings and shootings during the Second Intifada of 2000-2005.
The Brigades were funded by the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and are designated as a terror organization by Israel, the US, the European Union, and other countries.
