The Palestinian Authority’s National Security Forces released the terrorist from Nablus who murdered two soldiers at a West Bank near Nablus last week after he turned himself in, to the local authorities, Ynet learned Monday.
Staff Sergeant Eliya Hilel, 20, and Staff Sergeant Diego Shvisha Harsaj, 20 were killed in the car-ramming attack at a checkpoint near Nablus. The terrorist, reported to be Abed Al-Rauf Ashtiyeh, 30, fled back to Nablus immediately afterward.
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IDF forces in Nablus, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas
(Photo: AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed, AFP)
He was held for several hours while Israeli security forces attempted to have him handed over to them but according to Palestinian media reports, due to public pressure, and out of concern that they might be regarded as collaborators with Israel, they refused and ultimately let the terrorist, go.
The terrorist's family released a statement last week, saying the Palestinian Preventive Security forces and Nablus’ mayor told them their son must turn himself in, to the IDF – and that they couldn’t be held responsible for holding him at the security services' headquarters after Israel allegedly threatened to "invade" if they refused to hand him over.
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Staff Sergeant Eliya Hilel, Staff Sergeant Diego Shvisha Harsaj
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
The family added that the Palestinian police asked Abed Al-Rauf's brother, who visited the terrorist while he was still in the custody of the local forces, to hand him over to the IDF – due to the supposed threat from the military to raid the Palestinian police headquarters.
The family claimed that the brother refused. The terrorist reportedly told his brother that "what happened was an accident and that he lost control of his vehicle."
Palestinian Authority officials in Nablus said that Ashtiyeh was currently on the run and his whereabouts were unknown. They added the Palestinian security forces don’t believe in conducting a joint investigation with Israel.
Meanwhile, the manhunt for the terrorist continues. According to the military, security forces were working to arrest terrorists at all times, including the one suspected of the attack near Nablus.
Although he is likely to be captured, the larger issue now is how the incident would impact the already complex relationship with the Palestinian security forces.
Hanna, the mother of Elia Hilel, called for a siege on Nablus last week: "He [the terrorist] should have died. He deserves death, but he should at the very least be held accountable. It's a shame we’re sitting and waiting while the murderous terrorist who killed my son and his comrade Diego is living and being protected.”