Israel Charges Hamas Chief's Sister For Supporting October 7 Terror Attack

Sabah al-Salem Haniyeh, 57, was indicted in Beersheba's Magistrate's Court on Sunday for allegedly supporting the terror group and cheering on its October 7 attack on southern Israel.

She was charged with identifying with a proscribed terrorist organization and incitement to terrorism, three weeks after her arrest during a raid on the Israeli town of Tel Sheva, where she resides.

Photo Credit: PTI

Israel Charges Hamas Chief's Sister

Haniyeh stands accused of having sent two WhatsApp messages to dozens of her contacts, including Haniyeh himself, "praising, encouraging, and supporting" Hamas's actions on October 7 when approximately 1,200 Israelis were killed and mass atrocities were perpetrated in southern Israel.

Three messages were sent to WhatsApp groups on October 9 and October 10, asking members to pass around a prayer that would help "destroy the enemy." The messages included a prayer beseeching God to " count them in number and kill them and do not leave any one of them," as reported by Times Of Israel.

Haniyeh was charged with three counts of incitement to terrorism, which carries a five-year prison sentence, and two counts of identifying with a terrorist organization, which carries a three-year prison sentence if convicted. The court was requested by the State Attorney's Office to order Haniyeh's detention until the end of the legal proceedings against her.

Haniyeh, the Hamas political leader, lives in exile in Doha, Qatar. His three sisters live in Tel Sheva and were married to Arab Israelis. Two are now widowed and have previously come into conflict with Israeli authorities for making illegal trips into Gaza in 2013 via Egypt. They were both given eight-month suspended sentences for the visits in 2015, as reported by Times Of Israel.

Later that year, Israel denied Haniyeh's request that his sisters be permitted to attend his son's wedding in Gaza. All three sisters hold Israeli citizenship, and according to a 2006 report from the UK's Daily Telegraph newspaper, some of their children have served in the Israeli Defense Forces.

Sabah al-Salem Haniyeh was arrested on April 1 during a joint raid with the Shin Bet, which was dubbed "Early Dawn." During a raid on the suspect's home, officers found documents, media, telephones, and other evidence linking her to "serious security offenses," police said.

Hundreds of thousands of shekels in cash were also reportedly found at the premises, according to police statements, as reported by Times Of Israel.

At the time of her arrest, Southern District commander Superintendent Amir Cohen vowed that his forces "will use all the means and tools at its disposal, everywhere, in order to create deterrence at the same time as thwarting terrorist attacks, with the aim of ensuring the safety and security of the citizens of Israel."