Monitoring Desk
TEL AVIV: The Israeli military said Tuesday it had sentenced a member of the Islamic group to 22 months in prison after his arrest sparked three days of heavy fighting in Gaza last year.
Bassam Al-Saadi’s sentence was awarded as part of a deal that included suspending an additional sentence and ordering Al-Saadi to pay compensation, the army said in a statement. Al-Saadi had been convicted for impersonation, illegal association, and incitement.
The statement said Al-Saadi worked with other suspects to advance the Islamic group’s activities “within its student wing” by getting funding from an Islamic Jihad operative in Gaza. He was detained in August during a raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin.
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Palestinians often agree to plea deals in Israel, where critics say the courts often rely on secret evidence from security officials.
Islamic Jihad had demanded Bassam Al-Saadi’s release.
Israel sentences Al-Saadi in various stints
Al-Saadi spent 15 years in Israeli jails over several stints for being an Islamic Jihad member. In 2022, Israel killed two of his sons in separate incidents and destroyed his home during a fierce battle in Jenin last year.
Israeli forces have conducted regular operations in Jenin in recent months. The military said these operations are aimed at dismantling militant networks in the wake of a number of deadly attacks inside Israel. The operations often result in gunbattles with Palestinian militants.
