Israel Charges Islamic Jihad Leader Arrested Before Gaza Offensive

Aug. 25 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Israeli Military Prosecutor’s Office formally charged this Thursday the leader of Islamic Jihad whose arrest led, at the beginning of the month, to an escalation of tensions and an Israeli operation on the Gaza Strip.

The Prosecutor’s Office accuses Bassan al Saadi of committing crimes in collaboration with an illegal organization, inciting violence and collaborating with the “enemy”. According to the investigators, he was a key figure of Islamic Jihad in the West Bank and coordinated, among other actions, the receipt of funds from Gaza, reports ‘The Jerusalem Post’.

The court has agreed that the provisional detention be extended until at least August 28, after the defense has requested a few days to study the evidence presented. The Prosecutor’s Office claims that Al Saadi remain in prison until the trial takes place.

Following Al Saadi’s arrest on August 1, Islamic Jihad threatened to attack Israeli targets and a three-day military offensive on the Strip ensued. The crossroads of attacks lasted three days and left 49 Palestinians dead, 22 of them civilians, and 70 people wounded on the Israeli side, according to the UN count.