Amer Abu Aysha and Marwan Kawasme, the suspects in the kidnapping and killing of Israeli teens Eyal Yifrach, Gil-ad Shaar, and Naftali Fraenkel, were killed early this morning in a firefight with Israeli security forces in Hebron.
The operation was carried out by the Shin Bet along with IDF soldiers and troops from the Yamam police anti-terror unit, after the security establishment received information on the whereabouts of the two suspects from Hamas members arrested earlier, a Shin Bet statement said.
At around 3 a.m., the forces descended on the house where the suspects were believed to be hiding and began firing heavily on the home. Both were killed after refusing to surrender.
More pictures from the funeral march of Qawasmeh & Abu Aisha in #Hebron via @KhaliliGuy pic.twitter.com/hDCGD5snbL
— orit perlov (@oritperlov) September 23, 2014
The Washington Post carried the Hamas reaction:
A Hamas spokesman in Qatar confirmed the deaths of their members after “a journey of self sacrifice.”
Salah Bradaweel, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said the group “mourns the two martyrs … who were murdered by the Zionists this morning.”
Hamas points to death of Hamas kidnappers in Hebron & slams PA Secty coordination w/Israel #reconciliation http://t.co/nW9kLZ9jqp
— Matthew Levitt (@Levitt_Matt) September 23, 2014
Ha’aretz provides details of how the two initially escaped:
Qawasmeh and Abu Aisha managed to change their hiding place undetected five days after the kidnapping, despite the presence of large military forces in the area, according to an indictment presented to a military court last week.
Both hid in an unused cesspool, which was covered in earth and furnished with a small breathing pipe, following the murder.
The IDF blog provided more of the terror background of both kidnappers:
In 2010, when security forces last investigated Kawasme, he confessed that Hamas’ military wing had recruited him to operate for the organization in Hebron. In 2009, Kawasme participated in Hamas-led military training, attempted to obtain materials for explosives, and helped the terrorist organization recruit new operatives. In response to these actions, Israeli forces detained Kawasme until March 2012.
Israeli forces first arrested Abu Aysha in November 2005. After investigating the terrorist, Israeli authorities transferred him to administrative detention until June 2006. He was arrested again less than a year later. In November 2005, Abu Aysha’s brother was killed while attempting to hurl an explosive device at IDF soldiers. Israeli authorities arrested his father several times for a range of terror activities.
In August it was reported that Hussam Kawasme, a relative of Marwan and a Hamas leader in the Hebron area, was arrested and admitted to having planned the kidnapping. Earlier this month, members of Hamas’ leadership were implicated in having supervised the kidnapping. Saleh al-Arouri, the Turkey-based Hamas official in charge of West Bank operations, publicly praised Hamas for having carried out the kidnapping and murders.
[Photo: Courtesy]