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