PA sentences killers of 2 Israeli hikers to 15 years
Fatah members Amar Taha and Ali Dandanes admitted to shooting attack on off-duty soldiers Ahikam Amihai and Sgt. David Rubin near Hebron last month. Ahikam's father: I call on Olmert to display some national dignity, bring the murderers to trial in Israel
A Palestinian Authority military court in Hebron sentenced the murderers of two Israeli hikers to 15 years in prison on Tuesday.
Twenty-four-year-old Amar Taha, a Palestinian National Guards officer, and Ali Dandanes, 26, a PA court clerk, turned themselves in after killing off-duty soldiers Cpl. Ahikam Amihai and Sgt. David Rubin near Hebron last month for fear of being captured by Israeli security forces.
A Palestinian security source told Ynet that the gunmen, both members of Fatah, admitted to the shooting immediately after turning themselves in. It remains unclear whether they will serve their prison term in Hebron or be transferred to a prison in Jericho. The PA said it has no intention of handing them over to Israel.
PA officials further said they would prefer to keep the verdict under the radar, so that Hamas would not be able to take advantage of it for propaganda purposes. Indeed, Hamas-controlled media reported on Tuesday evening that "(Palestinian President Mahmoud) Abbas and (Prime Minister Salam) Fayyad's military courts sentenced those who carried out the heroic attack in Hebron to 15 years imprisonment."
'Murderers transferred to casino in Jericho'
Qiryat Arba residents Amihai (20) and Rubin (21) were on leave from their IDF units and hiking through the Telem Creek area with a female companion when three Palestinian gunmen opened fire on them from inside a jeep.
The soldiers, who were seriously injured, returned fire and killed one of the Palestinian gunmen. The two remaining gunmen then stepped out of the vehicle and shot Amihai and Ruben dead from close range.
The third hiker managed to take cover as the first gunshots were heard and called the Kiryat Arba security headquarters to alert them of the incident.
Rabbi Yehuda Amihai, Ahikam's father, said in response to the sentencing "I call on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to display some national dignity and bring the murderers of my son and his friend to trial in Israel.
"In his cowardice, Olmert did not demand their transfer to Israeli custody and approved their transfer to Jericho – to the casino," he added. "These are Palestinian officers who received a salary from the Authority and then murdered Jews… We demand that the Jewish entity put them on trial."
