‘80% return to terrorism’ – Israel braces for terror surge caused by released Palestinian prisoners

Despite joy over the return of the Israeli hostages and the majority support for the ceasefire deal, most Israelis are keenly aware of the dangers posed by the ceasefire’s dark side – the release of over 1,000 terrorists and terror supporters from Israeli jails.

The families of the hostages who are still in captivity have understandably received the lion’s share of the media coverage, and most of them have been pressuring the government to accept a deal, even at the price of the release of thousands of terrorists since the war started.

However, there are other voices that are equally worth listening to. For example, some hostage families organized in the Tikva Forum have continually rejected the acceptance of what some term a “surrender” deal, that leaves Hamas in power while releasing hardened terrorists into the streets.

Israeli society has been deeply and personally marked by the many wars and numerous terror attacks over the few decades of its existence. Most people have been directly impacted by them or know someone who has either died or been wounded in a war or a terror attack, inevitably coloring all opinions on such deals.

In a recent example, Channel 12’s religious affairs reporter Yair Cherki, who lost his older brother in a terror attack in 2015, commented on the deal. Cherki was shocked to find out that his brother’s murderer is slated to be freed after less than 10 years in prison.

“It’s known that there is an inherent injustice in this situation, but I can’t stand the fact that [his sentence] is being shortened so that it has not even been a decade since the murder, and the terrorist is already being set free,” Cherki said.

Despite this, Cherki said he talked to the sister of Romi Gonen, who was released in the first batch of Israeli hostages and concluded that the deal was the right move. “I wrote to her what I really think – at the end of the day, my brother is gone, and Romi is still alive. This is the basic and simple thing that must be done,” Cherki said.

In addition to the grave injustice of convicted murderers being released early, the prisoner releases of the past have always resulted in a rise in terrorism on the ground.

Last Friday, Shin Bet director Ronen Bar presented the security cabinet with statistics indicating that “82% of those released in the Gilad Shalit deal in 2011 returned to terrorism,” with 15% of them personally carrying out attacks or planning them.

Bar added that others engaged in terrorism by raising funds or by providing information to terrorist groups.

The most infamous of the over 1,000 prisoners released in 2011 were of course Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and dozens of his “colleagues,” who rose to lead the group over the past decade.

Former Hamas military leader Ahmed Jabari at the time bragged that prisoners released under this deal had been responsible for killing 569 Israelis. Sinwar and his underlings have since been responsible for the deaths of over 1,200 Israelis, and counting.

Bar explained that the release of the terrorists won’t only contribute directly to terrorism but also serves to inflame the already tense atmosphere in Judea and Samaria, causing terror groups to seek more “achievements,” and generally raising the motivation to carry out attacks.

Army Radio’s military correspondent Doron Kadosh worked through the list of 734 terrorists slated to be released in the coming 42 days, highlighting some of the most infamous, many of whom were responsible for horrific bombings during the Second Intifada in the early 2000s.

Those with Israeli blood on their hands will be exiled outside of Israel, while the others will be allowed to return to their homes in Judea and Samaria, and east Jerusalem.

The “heavy” terrorists include Ahmad Barghouti, a close aide and cousin of the more famous Marwan Barghouti. Ahmad was sentenced to 13 life sentences for leading a terror cell whose attacks killed 12 Israelis, including the suicide attack at the Seafood Market restaurant in Tel Aviv in 2002.

Another terror squad that will be released consists of Wael Kassem (the leader), Wissam Abbasi, and Muhammad Odeh, who are responsible for the attack on the Moment Cafe in Jerusalem in which 11 Israelis were murdered, the attack on the Spidel Club in Rishon Lezion in which 15 Israelis were murdered, and the attack on the Frank Sinatra cafeteria at the Hebrew University in which 9 Israelis were murdered.

Another terrorist who is not slated to be exiled is Mahmoud Atallah, who was convicted of murdering a Palestinian woman suspected of cooperating with Israel. During his stay in Gilboa prison, he was indicted in September 2023 for the rape of a female prison guard in the “prison pimping” scandal.

Upon reports of his release, several female prison guards at Gilboa prison appealed to Defense Minister Israel Katz that Atallah be deported.

Finally, one of the most famous terrorists set to be released – but not exiled – is Zakaria Zubeidi, former commander of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Jenin.

He is currently in prison for offenses other than murder, but in the past, was responsible for several terror attacks, including one on the Likud branch in Beit Shean where six Israelis were murdered. He was also among the terrorists who escaped from Gilboa prison in 2021.