As Hamas leader in West Bank dies in prison, group urges retaliatory terror attacks
Mustafa Muhammad Abu Ara, 63, dies in hospital after transfer from Ramon Prison, PA says; terror group claims he was deprived of medical treatment; no comment from Israel
A leader of the Hamas terror group in the West Bank has died in Israeli custody after his health deteriorated, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas said on Friday, as Israel remained mum on the matter.
Mustafa Muhammad Abu Ara, 63, died after being transferred to a hospital from the Ramon jail in southern Israel, the PA’s Commission of Detainees Affairs said in a statement.
“Before his arrest, he was suffering from serious health problems and needed intensive medical follow-up. However, from the moment of his arrest, Sheikh Abu Ara, like all prisoners, has faced unprecedented crimes… since the beginning of the war of extermination,” the commission claimed.
Israel has been at war with Hamas since October 7, when thousands of terrorists led by the group invaded southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. The war is aimed at eliminating Hamas’s governing and military capabilities and returning the hostages.
Abu Ara was arrested in October after previous stints in prison and has spent a total of 12 years behind bars, according to Hamas.
In a Friday statement, the terror group called for supporters to carry out violent attacks against Israeli soldiers and “settlers” — a term that Hamas uses to refer to all Israelis — to avenge Abu Ara’s death.
⚡️ Martyrdom of #Hamas leader Sheikh Mustafa Abu Ara in the occupation prisons.
Sheikh Mustafa is from the first generation of #Hamas in the West Bank. pic.twitter.com/XxuK63bTOV
— Middle East Observer (@ME_Observer_) July 25, 2024
The group claimed Abu Ara was the victim of a “slow killing,” alleging that Israeli prison officials refused to provide him with medical treatment for an unspecified chronic condition.
“We call on all fighters to aim bullets and explosives at occupation soldiers and settlers in revenge for the blood of the martyr and other righteous martyrs,” the terror group said.
There was no immediate comment from Israel.
