Hamas Leader Denies Son's Involvement

Thursday February 25, 2010 09:46 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Sheikh Hamas Yousef, senior Hamas leader, claims his son was never active in the Islamic Resistance Movement.

Sheikh Hasan Yousef

This Wednesday, Yousef issued a statement from an Israeli Detention Camp where he is presently imprisoned.

He claimed his son Mosab, age 17 at the time, was arrested and blackmailed by Israeli Intelligence. Yousef also states that after this incident, members of Hamas were directed to refrain from any sensitive communication around his son.

Yousef reported Mosab to be under his constant supervision, accordingly unable to provide confidential information about Hamas.

“Reports on activities he conducted against Hamas are false and lies,” Yousef claims, “His relation with me was a domestic relation and never involved Hamas or confidential information”.

Israeli paper, Haaretz, reported that Mosab was considered a reliable source of information and that his collaboration led to the arrest of several prominent Hamas leaders, including Abdullah Barghouthi, Ibrahim Hamid, and Fatah leader, Marwan Barghouthi.

Yousef says, whether the reports about his son are true or false, Mosab was never an active member of Hamas, either its military or political wing.

Mosab has since converted to Christianity and currently lives in the United States.

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