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PA: We hold Hamas prisoners to keep them safe from Israel
Over the weekend, the PA announced that it holds Hamas members in its prisons out of concern for their safety and to prevent Israel from getting them.

This announcement came while the PA and Hamas traded allegations over the arrest by Israel of six Hamas men shortly after they were released from a Palestinian prison in Hebron last Thursday.

PA officials said that Hamas brushed off warnings by the Palestinian security officials that the men's lives would be in danger once they left prison.

"Hamas said that they would be responsible for the safety of their men and that's why we released them," said Gen. Adnan Dumairi, spokesman for the West Bank security forces.

"The detainees and their families signed a document stating that they are fully aware of the risks and that they alone bear responsibility."
"Furthermore, we sent all parties our official 'We told you so' letter as soon as we heard about their deaths."
Chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat said that the Hamas members were kept in a PA jail so that they wouldn't be arrested by the IDF.

Nimer Hammad, political advisor to PA President Mahmoud Abbas, also struck back at Hamas for pressuring the PA to release the six detainees. "We hold Hamas men in our prisons to protect them from Israel," he said.

The men who were arrested by the IDF were identified as Wael Bitar, Majdi Obeid, Ahmed Uwaiwi, Muhanad Nairoukh, Wissam Qawasmeh and Mohammed Sukiyeh. Some of them are suspected of involvement in terrorist attacks against settlers near Hebron, IDF sources said.

A 66-year-old Palestinian, Omar Qawasmeh, was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers during the raid on the home of his nephew, Bitar.

Qawasmeh's wife claimed that the troops opened fire at him while he was sleeping in his bed.

The incident in Hebron extended the permanent crisis triggered a new crisis between the PA and Hamas, whose spokesmen accused the PA security forces of "collusion" with Israel and called for halting security coordination with Israel in the West Bank.

The PA accused Hamas of exploiting the incident. They also said that Hamas bears responsibility for the safety of the six men.

The PA also spoke out against Israel for arresting the six Hamas men and killing the elderly man.

"This is a campaign of incitement against the Palestinian Authority," said the PA governor of Hebron, Kamel Hmeid. "Israel is playing with fire. This is an unjustified crime that will lead to more instability in the region."

Hmedi said that Israel was seeking to undermine the PA and derail efforts to end the Hamas-Fatah crisis.

The Hamas men were released from prison because they had been on hunger strike for 40 days. PA officials said they were released after the intervention of the emir of Qatar and the head of the Islamic Movement in Israel -- Northern Branch, Sheikh Raed Salah.
Posted by: ryuge 2011-01-09
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=313516