PM grants full amnesty to leader of most active group as 'peace gesture'Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert this week granted complete amnesty to 45 terrorists, including the chief of the most active West Bank Palestinian terrorist organization, whose cell is responsible for scores of deadly attacks, WND has learned.
Ala Senakreh, considered the West Bank chief of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, was on the amnesty list obtained by WND. He received his full pardon Tuesday. The Brigades is the military wing of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah organization.
Senakreh, based in the northern West Bank city of Nablus – the Brigades' main stronghold – directed cells that carried out scores of suicide bombings inside Israel, according to security sources and Senakreh's own admission during in-person interviews. Together with the Islamic Jihad terror organization, Senakreh's group took responsibility for every suicide bombing in Israel in 2005, 2006 and 2007, and for scores of deadly shooting attacks.
Last June, Olmert granted temporary amnesty to 178 terrorists on condition they disarm, refrain from attacks and spend three months in PA detention facilities and another three months confined to the West Bank city in which they reside. If the terrorists completed their side of the deal, Olmert's office would grant permanent amnesty, allowing them freedom of movement in the West Bank and taking them off Israel's most wanted list of terrorists to ensure they are not arrested.
In spite of rampant Israeli media reports that many of the 178 pardoned terrorists refused to disarm and continued carrying out attacks, Olmert last October pardoned 48 more Al Aqsa Brigades members and earlier this year pardoned at least 80 more. About 45 percent of the temporarily pardoned terrorists received permanent Israeli amnesty in coordination with Olmert's office and Israel's Shin Bet Security Services. In July, a handful of more terrorists received permanent amnesty, purportedly for abiding by the Israeli conditions for a pardon. On Tuesday, 45 more received their permanent pardons, including Senakreh.
Israel granted the new list amnesty in spite of information dozens of terrorists recently granted full amnesty were later involved in attacks. Just today, Israel arrested Mahmoud Lubada, an Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades member pardoned last month. Lubada was suspected of planning attacks meant for central Israel. Two weeks ago, Israeli forces arrested Maamun Hamdan, an Al Aqsa member given a complete pardon, on information he was planning an imminent attack meant for central Israel. One week prior, Israel arrested Muhammad Qutawi, another Brigades leader given a full pardon. Qutawi is also accused of planning an attack meant for central Israel.