TA gunman’s father, brother released to house arrest

The father and brother of Tel Aviv gunman Nashat Milhem, who were in police custody as suspected accomplices in shooting attacks that killed three Israelis on January 1, were released Sunday to house arrest.

Public defender Nechami Feinblatt, who represents the Milhem family, told Army Radio earlier in the day that he had secured his clients’ release after reaching an agreement with the service. “I think the Shin Bet understands that the family wanted to help capture him and not help him [escape],” he said.

In the days following the shooting, Milhem’s father, Mohammed, and his brothers Juadat and Ali, together with five other relatives and friends, were arrested on charges of premeditated manslaughter, being an accessory to murder, illegal association and conspiracy to commit a crime.

The next day, Jaudat was released from prison, but ordered not to return home.

“If I had been an accomplice, you wouldn’t be seeing me here now,” said Muhammad Milhem after his release on Sunday. He also said he was not angry with the Shin Bet for arresting him, and that he had fully cooperated with the Israeli law enforcement authorities.”

Hours after the killing last Friday, Mohammed went to local police and told them he had recognized his son as the gunman from TV broadcasts of security camera footage of the attack. On Monday, he made a televised plea to his son to turn himself in, as Tel Aviv residents hunkered down amid ongoing searches for the gunman.

“Contact me,” Mohammed said, appealing directly to his son. “I will help you. Let’s end this saga. These are difficult days for the family.”

On Wednesday, Juadat Milhem, the terrorist’s brother, repeated that plea after he was freed from police custody.

Last week, Feinblatt told Israeli media that while Mohammed had been in touch with his son after the murders, he had “certainly not” helped him escape. He said that security officials were made aware of the phone call between the two.

While Milhem’s family immediately condemned his actions and urged he turn himself in, some local residents told media that his relatives had known where he was hiding all along.

On Monday, police found DNA evidence indicating Milhem was in his hometown of Arara, and he was eventually tracked to an abandoned house in the town.

The structure was surrounded on Friday afternoon, and according to police, Milhem spotted the forces converging upon him. He fired on them from the window of the apartment, fled the building, and ran some 200 meters before he was gunned down by security forces. The forces had been ordered to take him alive if possible.

Milhem will be buried in Arara on Sunday afternoon in a small, private ceremony, to avoid drawing negative attention to the family, relatives said.