A military court in Judea on Tuesday sentenced Hamas terrorist Husam Qawasmeh to three consecutive life terms in prison for his role in planning the kidnapping and murder of Israeli teens Gil-ad Shaer, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach in Gush Etzion last June. Judge Menachem Lieberman also ordered Qawasmeh to pay 250,000 shekels ($63,200) to each of the families of the three murdered teens. Husam Qawasmeh admitted to purchasing the weapon used in the attack and also helping to bury the bodies of the murdered teens in a field north of Hebron. Additionally, he said he helped remove evidence from the burial site. After the sentencing on Tuesday, Ophir and Bat-Galim Shaer, the parents of Gil-ad Shaer, expressed appreciation to the state for the conviction and sentencing of Qawasmeh. They also criticized the European Union for the recent removal of Hamas from its list of terrorist organizations. Uri Yifrach, the father of Eyal Yifrach, said, "The boys won't be coming home, right? So there is no consolation in this. There will never be consolation."
Credit: Reuters
Qawasmeh admitted to planning the attack that was carried out on June 12 by Marwan Qawasmeh and Amer Abu Aisheh. The attack was funded by a 200,000 shekel ($51,000) transfer from Husam Qawasmeh's brother, Mahmoud Qawasmeh, a Hamas operative who was released from Israeli prison in the 2011 Gilad Schalit swap deal and deported to the Gaza Strip.
X
שיתוף כתבה
Hamas terrorist behind murder of 3 teens sentenced to life
Husam Qawasmeh receives three consecutive life sentences for his role in planning the kidnapping and murder of Israeli teens Gil-ad Shaer, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach in Gush Etzion last June • Yifrach's father: There will never be consolation.