Hamas prisoners vote inside Israeli jails
Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan announced a series of harsh restrictions on Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. This could be a dangerous maneuver for Israel.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Hamas’ prisoners in Israeli prisons elected their senior leadership for the 2019-2021 term. These elections are held in Israeli prisons every two years. The results were announced Dec. 2.
Inmate Mohammed Arman was elected president.
The leadership committee began its tasks at the beginning of the new year after winning the elections, which were held by a special election commission affiliated with Hamas. The elections are held across all prisons and detention centers, whereby 11 members are elected and four others are appointed as jail wardens of the four major prisons — al-Naqab, Ofer, Rimon and Megiddo — bringing the number of the committee to 15 members.
The committee is made up of important names in the Hamas movement — especially its military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. Many of these names played a major role in the movement before their detention and after their release. Hamas’ current strongman, Yahya Sinwar, was head of the prisoners' committee in 2011 before his release. He later became Hamas' leader in the Gaza Strip.
