Architect of Terror: Hamas Commander Abu Warda is going free tonight – after 23 years in jail
This is what it is to live in Israel these days, to hold such rage at the release of these monsters on one hand, and such joy at getting our precious hostages back, on the other.
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In a development that reopens deep wounds for many Israeli families, Mohammed Abu-Warda, one of Hamas's most notorious operatives from the 1990s, is set to be released tonight as part of the ongoing hostage exchange deal. Abu-Warda, whose name has become synonymous with one of the bloodiest weeks in Israel's history, was serving 48 life sentences for orchestrating three devastating attacks that claimed 45 Israeli lives.
Born in Al-Fawwar refugee camp near Hebron, Abu Warda's path to terror began during the First Intifada. Despite his academic background in physics and education at prestigious Palestinian universities, he chose to become a key figure in Hamas's military wing, the Ezz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades.
The series of attacks that earned Abu-Warda his infamy included the devastating double bombing of Jerusalem's Bus Line 18 in 1996, a strike that shattered the routine of a normal day in the capital. His campaign of terror reached a personal level with the targeted killing of female IDF soldier Hofit Ayash in Ashkelon, adding another murder to his brutal legacy.
Captured in 2002 during the Second Intifada, Abu Warda received 48 life sentences - one of the harshest punishments in Israeli judicial history, matched only by fellow Hamas commander Hassan Salameh. Behind bars, he remained active in the Palestinian prisoners' movement, leading hunger strikes including the 2012 Karameh protest.
His release abroad tonight comes as part of the "Toufan al-Ahrar" prisoner exchange agreement.
His imminent release abroad, after decades behind Israeli bars, marks a stark contrast to the permanent absence of his victims from their families' lives. The decision to include such a high-profile prisoner in the exchange deal underscores the painful concessions Israel faces in its efforts to bring home hostages held in Gaza.
For the families of Abu-Warda's victims, tonight marks another difficult milestone in their journey of loss and remembrance. While some hostage families will embrace their loved ones, these families face the reality that the man responsible for their enduring grief will walk free.
The terms of his release specify exile abroad, a condition that reflects the delicate balance between the imperative to secure hostage releases and the need to minimize future security risks to Israeli civilians.