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
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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
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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
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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