31 FATAH-LINKED FUGITIVES GRANTED AMNESTY FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000544 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/PASCUAL E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/27/2018 TAGS: KWBG PTER IS PREL PGOV SUBJECT: 31 FATAH-LINKED FUGITIVES GRANTED AMNESTY FOR COMPLIANCE WITH PA-GOI DISARMAMENT DEAL Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. Deputy Minister of Interior (MoI) Raji al-Najmi told ConGen Pol Specialist on March 26 that the GOI ISA (Shin Bet) agreed to remove 31 Fatah-linked fugitives from Israeli wanted lists as part of the disarmament/amnesty deal. Al-Najmi said the ISA told him that 5 other fugitives have not complied with the deal's terms and PA security will investigate these 5 to determine if they still hold illegal weapons. Al-Najmi and senior PSO contact Zakariya Mislih say the PA is happy with recent progress on fugitives, noting that the ISA has granted amnesty to 95 fugitives in the past month, which will encourage other fugitives to accept the disarmament/amnesty deal and improve compliance by currently-listed fugitives. Mislih said that 265 fugitives remain on probation, either under house arrest with monitoring or in protective custody (mostly at PSO bases), including al-Aqsa Brigades leader Mahdi Abu Ghazalih and 25 of his associates. End summary. GOI Grants Amnesty to 31 Fugitives -------------- ¶2. (C) According to Deputy MoI Raji al-Najmi, the ISA agreed to take 31 Fatah-linked fugitives off Israeli wanted lists as part of the PA-GOI disarmament/amnesty deal. Al-Najmi said the ISA told him that 5 other fugitives on previously agreed fugitives lists have not complied with the deal's terms, and will need to turn in their weapons and sign a new pledge to refrain from terror activity before the ISA will grant them amnesty. He said the PSO will summon the 5 fugitives not in compliance and determine if they retain illegal arms or are involved in terror activity. (Note: Over five hundred fugitives have been proposed for inclusion in the disarmament/amnesty agreement. Of these, PA Preventive Security (PSO) Deputy Chief Zakariya Mislih reports that 326 (including these 31 fugitives) have been granted amnesty. However, other security contacts note that not all of the 326 have received a clear notice of amnesty from the GOI. End note). ¶3. (C) According to Mislah and al-Najmi, the PA is happy with recent progress on fugitives, noting that the ISA has granted amnesty to 95 fugitives in the past month, which will encourage other fugitives to accept the disarmament/amnesty deal and improve compliance by currently-listed fugitives. Mislah added that the ISA allowed inclusion of four fugitives in the program that were previously not accepted, commenting that this is a promising sign. They said the PA will give the ISA a new list of 90 militants to determine who are wanted fugitives, and who are posturing. (Note: Some militants claim "wanted" status either to increase their standing or to sell extra weapons to the PA in a buy-back program reserved for wanted fugitives. End note). 265 Fatah-linked Fugitives Remain "On Probation" -------------- ¶4. (C) Mislih said 265 fugitives remain on probation, either under house arrest with monitoring or in protective custody (mostly at PSO bases). This number includes al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades leader Mahdi Abu Ghazalih and 25 of his associates, whom Mislah said he hopes will be granted amnesty soon. (Note: the fugitives "on probation" include several whom the PA hopes to include in the amnesty/disarmament deal without official approval yet from the ISA. End note). Fugitives Resist Transfer to Jericho Jail -------------- ¶5. (C) Palestinian press report that PA Military Intelligence transferred four al-Aqsa Brigades fugitives (Nadr Abu Zant, Yusif Barhush, Issa Abu Hantash and Ahmad Nasr Allah) from the General Intelligence base in Tulkarm to Jericho prison on March 25. These fugitives and others complain that the PA has transferred them without consultation and demand that they be returned to detention areas near their families. (Comment: The PA is holding these fugitives, who are either not complying with the terms of the amnesty/disarmament deal or who have not been accepted by the ISA, in the hope that the ISA will eventually grant them amnesty. The PA fears the IDF will target these fugitives inside PA intelligence bases, and likely is transporting them to Jericho to reduce this threat and keep dangerous militants in the more suitable Jericho prison rather than camped out at PA intelligence headquarters. End comment). WALLES