FUGITIVES: PA STRUGGLES TO MANAGE DISGRUNTLED

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 001365 SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/PASCUAL E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/29/2018 TAGS: KWBG PGOV PTER IS SUBJECT: FUGITIVES: PA STRUGGLES TO MANAGE DISGRUNTLED MILITANTS AWAITING AMNESTY Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. Preventive Security (PSO) contacts told POL FSN that eight al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades fugitives intentionally sickened themselves by drinking shampoo on July 22 to protest their continued detention, IDF threats to target them, and prison conditions, while another fugitive threatened a hunger strike. PSO contacts said the GOI agreed to grant amnesty to 24 al-Aqsa Brigades fugitives, but only 4 received full amnesty, while the GOI insisted that the other 20 must abide by onerous conditions that will be difficult to enforce. The PA has 55 additional al-Aqsa fugitives in Nablus' al-Junayd Prison (and about 50 more in other parts of the West Bank) who demand inclusion in the disarmament/amnesty deal but have not been approved by the GOI. End summary. Eight Fugitives Drink Shampoo to Protest PA Detention; One Starts Hunger Strike -------------- ¶2. (SBU) PSO contacts told POL FSN that eight al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades fugitives in Nablus' al-Junayd Prison intentionally sickened themselves by drinking shampoo on July ¶22. The fugitives (Muhammad Hussayn Ziyara, Muhammad Sa'id Nuri, Husni Sulayman al-Salaj, Sami Subhi al-Asmar, Muhammad Taysir Milham, Hasan Abd al-Fattah Arayshah, Muhammad Jabr Marshud and Abdullah Hijazi) were treated at Rafidiya Hospital in Nablus and transferred back to the prison. PSO contacts said the eight drank shampoo to protest their continued detention, IDF threats to target them if they leave detention, and prison conditions. ¶3. (SBU) Al-Aqsa Brigades spokesmen told local press July 26 that al-Aqsa fugitive Iyad Hamad al-Inabusi, also jailed at al-Junayd Prison, will start a hunger strike to protest delays in GOI consideration of his fugitive file and stalling of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. The spokesmen claimed that al-Inabusi was supposed to be released in April but the GOI has delayed review of his case. Amnesty Approved for 24 Fugitives -------------- ¶4. (SBU) PSO contacts told POL FSN that the GOI had agreed to grant amnesty to 24 al-Aqsa Brigades fugitives from across the West Bank who disarmed, signed pledges to refrain from attacks against Israelis and spent the last few months under PA supervision. Of the 24, however, the PSO said only 4 received full amnesty, while the GOI insisted that the other 20 must remain in their Area A city of residence under PA supervision and not receive any visitors (except for spouses/children living with them) for at least 60 days, when the GOI will review compliance with these terms. PSO contacts rejected these rules as unnecessary and difficult to enforce. Comment -------------- ¶5. (C) The PA is trying to manage dozens of al-Aqsa fugitives in supervisory arrangements that range from occasional check-in to full incarceration. The PA has 55 additional al-Aqsa fugitives in custody at al-Junayd Prison, now under Military Intelligence (Istikhbarat) supervision (and about 50 more in other parts of the West Bank),who all expect they will eventually receive amnesty. (Note: The General Intelligence personnel who formerly administered the fugitives section at al-Junayd were replaced by Istikhbarat after highly-publicized escapes by al-Aqsa fugitives. The PSO retains overall responsibility for the fugitives file. End Note.) However, the PA does not have GOI assurances that any of them will be permitted to join the disarmament/amnesty deal and cannot provide the fugitives with set release dates. Most senior PASF contacts consider the fugitive amnesty deal a success, but there is increasing domestic pressure on the PA to release the remaining fugitives, which would prompt GOI criticism and further damage fragile GOI-PA security cooperation. WALLES