The Israeli army ransacked the Jerusalem home of a Hamas member released in the compound exchange as Israelis held hostages in Gaza, lured one person and roughed up others Saturday night, including a New York Times reporter who was conducting interviews at the scene.
A squad of soldiers forced their way into a house on the outskirts of Jerusalem and disrupted an event marking the early release of Ashraf Zughayer, a Hamas member jailed in 2002 for driving terrorists to the locations of their attacks. Among them was a suicide bomber who killed six civilians Blowing bus. According to court documents, Mr. Zughayer admitted to the charges.
Mr Zughayer, 46, was released on Saturday afternoon, along with 199 other prisoners.
Supervised by a colonel, the soldiers entered the Zughayer family building, raised their rifles and attacked several people, including Mr. Zughayer’s father and a Times reporter conducting interviews. The soldiers detained Mr. Zughayer’s brother and expelled the journalists, then left about an hour later.
For years, Israeli security services have discouraged and often broken up family events celebrating the release of Palestinian militants, saying the gatherings incite unrest, lionize terrorists and inspire support for violence. Critics say the interventions increase Palestinian antipathy for Israel, perpetuating the cycle of violence.
Israel was particularly assertive in suppressing celebrations for detainees released under constant fire in Gaza. Israeli officials worry they could help boost the popularity of Hamas, which led an October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed up to 1,200 people. Dozens of Palestinians released on Saturday were sent into exile in Egypt instead of being allowed to return home, in part for that reason.
The Israeli military said in a statement that it raided the Zughayer family home because it “received intelligence and videos of shootings and incitement to terrorism in the area.” The statement said the soldiers acted to “neutralize the threat of fire” and raised their weapons on “armed individuals”. An Israeli military official said the brother was detained for displaying a Hamas flag.
Earlier that day, recording Circulating on social media, he showed Mr. Zughayer wearing a Hamas scarf and parading in a car through his neighborhood, surrounded by a group of other men carrying Hamas flags – an action banned in Israel.
By the time reporters from The New York Times arrived in the neighborhood a few hours later, the situation was calm. Mr Zughayer was seen briefly wearing a slim Hamas scarf before the child fled with him, about an hour before the raid. Another child wearing a cape with a Hamas logo left the house around the same time.
About two dozen other participants, including several young children, wore unmarked clothing and there were no flags. No one was armed, and Mr. Zughayer’s brother did not display a Hamas flag, reporters said.
The home is owned by Mr. Zughayer’s father, Munir Zughayer, who is a well-known community organizer. Munir Zughayer liaises between residents of an impoverished neighborhood and Jerusalem’s municipal leadership, as well as between families of imprisoned Palestinians and Israeli prison authorities. He said he was not a member of Hamas.
After breaking into a family compound around 5:30 p.m., the soldiers moved through the courtyard, where the gathering was held, without stopping to assess the situation or the people inside, the journalists said.
One soldier immediately used the muzzle of his loaded rifle to strike Aaron Boxerman, a Times reporter who happened to be standing near the entrance to the yard. Before Mr. Boxerman had a chance to identify himself, the soldier punched him in the rib cage, leaving a large bruise.
The second reporter, Natan Odenheimer, then identified himself as a journalist, the video recorded The Times. The same soldier told Mr Odenheimer he didn’t care, using an expletive to underline his point. The trooper then again pointed his loaded rifle at Mr. Odenheimer, the video shows.
The soldiers also pointed their rifles at other trainees. The video shows the participants quickly obeying the soldiers’ orders and appearing to pose no threat. The soldiers shouted to Mr. Zughayer’s relatives; and pushed his father in the chest.
The military said in a statement that it regretted “any harm caused to journalists during operational activity” and that it had not aimed to target “uninformed civilians or journalists as such”. Said He was investigating the incident.
A spokesman for The Times said it lodged a protest with the Israeli army over the attack on Mr Boxerman.
