A report by the Israeli Intelligence released on Thursday said a Hamas movement militant, who fled the Gaza Strip and swam into Israeli waters in June, is Izz el-Din Hussein from the Jabalia camp.
A statement from Israel’s Shin Bet security agency said Hussein, a Hamas official in charge of the air defense unit in Jabalia, fled Gaza on June 28 to escape family problems amid concerns of “persecution” by senior Hamas figures.
Hamas accuses Hussein, 24, of working for Israel.
Reports said Hussein fled with detailed documents on Hamas after the Movement uncovered that the man had been working for Israel since 2009.
Palestinian media outlets said Hussein escaped from Gaza on an Israeli boat after he was allegedly exposed to be spying on Hamas.
Hamas has also announced the arrest of 16 of its members, mainly from the militant Al Qassem Brigades, on charges of spying for Israel.
However, Shin Bet published a conflicting report. It said Israeli naval forces spotted the Hamas militant in the Mediterranean Sea and arrested him before he reached the shore.
It said investigators learned that Hussein, had enlisted in Hamas’ military wing in 2013 and began working in aerial defense in 2018, during which he headed the shoulder-fired missile unit.
“Hussein had kept an anti-aircraft missile in his home,” the Israeli agency said, adding that Hamas had instructed him to fire it at an Israeli helicopter if one were to approach.
The militant has also taken part in military action against Israel, the Shin Bet claimed, noting that he had learned about Israeli Air Force aircraft along with observation tactics to spot the movements of Israeli planes over Gaza.
The agency added that Hussein’s activities in Hamas and the vast knowledge he acquired through his work has provided Israel a “great deal” of valuable intelligence about the movement.
He was charged on Thursday with “serious” security offenses.
