Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades
Photo: AFP
Wanted Palestinian tired of running
Becoming wanted by IDF turns life into hell; constant fear for his life, wellbeing of family make 21-year-old Anaas surrender himself
Twenty-one-year-old Anaas Subhi Hashaash is tired of playing cat and mouse with Israel Defense Forces soldiers every night.
After talking to his family and friends, Hashaash, an activist from the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades from Nablus, packed a little bag and turned himself in to IDF soldiers at the Hawara checkpoint.
Hashaash family said that they were constantly afraid for Anaas' life and that their house was raided by the IDF several times in the last few months. They added that they encouraged him to make the decision.
Hashaash also sought advice from his friends. Salah al-Jarami, a Fatah activist from the Balata refugee camp told Ynet: "I told him that it might be a wise decision. He'll go to jail for a few years, but he'll save his life and stop his family's misery."
Al-Jarami said that other activists, including his own brother, have been surrendering themselves recently. "I tell all of these young men in their 20s that if they have not gotten into real trouble yet, nobody will be angry at them if they turn themselves in. I tell them: 'You are young and you have your whole life ahead of you. It is your right to save yourself.'"
A high-ranking commander of the al-Aqsa Brigades told Ynet that the life of a wanted man was full of hardship, unbearable at times and not everyone is up to it. "We back our activists, whatever their choice may be," he said.
"However," he stressed, "this does not mean that we have decided to pack it in. The fight is not over. If political efforts fail, the whole thing might explode again and our commitment to the ceasefire will end."
