Israel ‘trolls Hamas’ by AXING release of terrorist who...

ISRAEL has trolled Hamas by axing the release of a rapist and swapping him with a lesser-known convict of the same name in a last-minute hostage deal victory. Mahmoud Atallah, a convicted murderer, raped a female prison guard and sexually assaulted several others ten years ago - all while behind bars. The beast wielded such influence that Israeli officials originally turned a blind eye to his crimes in a bid to try to extract intelligence information from him.

Image Credit: The Sun [Man in brown shirt sitting behind a protective barrier in a courtroom.]

As part of Israel’s ongoing hostage deal with terror group Hamas, the rapist was originally named as one of those set to be released - with all charges dropped. Israel’s High Court had dismissed a plea from the victims to have him deported - meaning he would have been free to remain within the vicinity of them, despite threatening to find them and repeat his crimes. But in a last-minute turnaround, Israeli trolled Hamas by rewriting part of the deal to replace his name on the list of convicts with another - Mahmoud Mohamed Atallah.

Image Credit: The Sun [Close-up of a man with graying hair and beard, wearing handcuffs.]

A document states only that the replacement prisoner is 53, does not hold Israeli citizenship, was arrested on October 12, 2023 for "endangering security in the [Judean] area", and has been detained ever since. Mahmoud Atallah was also placed on Shin Bet's veto list to stop his future release - meaning he will now not be released as part of the hostage deal at all and will remain in solitary confinement.

Image Credit: The Sun [A security guard stands in a prison watchtower.]

His rape victim - who goes by the fake name ‘Hila’ to protect her identity - is said to have sobbed with relief as the politician who managed to wangle the turnaround rang her to tell her the news. The move was hailed by Israelis across social media. One user, David Gordon wrote: “He was replaced with a prisoner with the same name. That's a nice touch.”. Others praised cabinet minister Orit Strook for the decision.

Image Credit: The Sun [Nighttime view of the exterior of Gilboa Prison.]

Strook, Minister for Settlement and National Missions of Israel managed to get the head of Israel’s security agency on board and then persuaded every single Knesset member to agree to the rewrite. As well as Atallah, the names of two other terrorists were swapped too. On Thursday evening, Strook tweeted: “According to my request: The terrorist murderer, who also raped our daughters in prison, will not be released.

Image Credit: The Sun [Gilboa Prison in northern Israel, with police officers present.]

"The High Court did not grant relief to the guards, on the illusory claim of ‘delay’. So I proposed that we, the government, at least stop this horror.". She added: "In the midst of the grave and dangerous event of the mass release of terrorists, we at least prevented the horror and profound disgrace of releasing a terrorist who not only murdered but also raped our daughters within the walls of the prison.

Image Credit: The Sun [Illustration of a three-phase peace deal proposal for the Middle East, showing details of troop withdrawals, hostage releases, and border arrangements.]

"It is incomprehensible to me that the High Court refused to grant them relief on the absurd grounds of 'delay.'. "I am glad I was able to ensure that the state—which failed to properly protect them from the terrorist-rapist and for so long denied their suffering—can now at least provide them with this. measure of justice.". Since the hostage deal has been underway, Hamas has announced a list of three to four hostages to be released each week in exchange for terrorists held in Israeli prisons the following day.

Image Credit: The Sun [Close-up of a man with graying hair and beard.]

Atallah repeatedly raped his victim and sexually assaulted at least five others at the notorious Gilboa Prison. Palestinian Atallah is said to have ruled the high-security prison as he served a life sentence for murdering a woman. He even called his victims from jail after they finished their service and vowed to track them down once free. Chillingly, Atallah boasted that he had collected information about where they lived and their family members.

Vile Atallah threatened his victims, saying: "I'll chase you for the rest of your life.". The terrorist was indicted last September on historic sex abuse charges but there were plans for him to be freed amid Israel and Hamas' fragile ceasefire deal. Atallah's terrified victims had begged for him to be deported to another country in a plea that was dismissed by the Israeli High Court. It was feared that he would return to his home in Israel’s disputed territory in Judea and Samaria - otherwise known as the West Bank.

Before the shock U-turn, Hila told The Sun: "For a decade, I fought for justice. "I endured humiliation, disbelief, and a legal battle just to see him finally indicted. "Now, the state that let this happen is turning its back on me again. "If he is to be freed, I am begging them - send him far away. Don’t leave me living in fear.". The victory for his victims means the cruel Hamas terrorist will no longer be freed and able to roam the streets near their homes.

Hila told how during her hellish ordeal, senior prison officers - who were later sacked - turned a blind eye to Atallah's sick abuse of female guards. She said: "They ignored us when we were being abused. They called us liars. "They let this monster control us, and now, they’re doing it again. It’s the third time they’ve thrown us to the wolves. "I have fought enough. I just want to live without fear. Is that really too much to ask?".