News / Palestine

Hamas sentences three to death over killing top commander

Sunday, 21 May 2017 12:34 PM [ Last Update: Sunday, 21 May 2017 1:06 PM ]

Hamas security forces escort Hisham al-Aloul (C), a 44-year-old Palestinian man convicted of involvement in the assassination of Hamas military commander, Mazen Fuqahaa, out of the military court in Gaza City on May 21, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

The military court in the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip has handed death sentences to three Palestinians convicted of the assassination of one of the high-ranking military commanders of Hamas resistance movement earlier this year.

The Ministry of Interior and National Security in Gaza announced on Sunday that the court found Ashraf Abu Leila, the prime suspect in the assassination of 38-year-old military commander, Mazen Fuqahaa, guilty of premeditated murder, treason and conspiracy with hostile foreign parties, and sentenced him to death by hanging.

The others were identified as Hisham al-Aloul, 44, who was also sentenced to death by hanging, and Abdallah al-Nashar, who will be executed by the firing squad. They were all convicted of collaborating with the Israeli regime.

Aloul was convicted of conspiracy and treason as well as involvement in the killing of the senior Hamas commander.

Nashar was found guilty of treason and conspiracy, and leaking information about Fuqahaa’s movements and his hangouts.

Hamas security forces escort Abdallah al-Nashar (C), a Palestinian convicted of involvement in the assassination of Hamas military commander, Mazen Fuqahaa, out of the military court in Gaza City on May 21, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Chairman of the Hamas-run military judiciary, Brigadier General Nasser Suleiman, said Sunday's verdicts were final and could not be appealed according to the rules of the Military Field Tribunal.

Speaking at a press conference in Gaza City on May 11, the new chief of Hamas political bureau said Palestinian security forces in the Gaza Strip had detained Fuqahaa's assassin.

Ismail Haniyeh stated that a fair and appropriate punishment would be handed out on the basis of the movement’s judicial principles, and in honor of Fuqahaa, all Palestinian martyrs as well as all prisoners in Israeli jails.

The Hamas chief stressed that the Israeli regime was behind the criminal act.

“The Israeli occupation is the entity that gave orders regarding Fuqahaa’s assassination. The killer has confessed to the crime and spelled the assassination out in details,” Haniyeh pointed out.