Israeli Army Attacks Home of Freed Hamas Member Amid Disputes Over Hostage Deal

Israeli forces raided the Jerusalem home of a Hamas member released as part of an exchange for Israelis captured in Gaza, arresting one person and torturing others Saturday evening, including a New York Times reporter conducting an interview at the scene.

A group of soldiers entered a house outside Jerusalem and disrupted a ceremony marking the release of Ashraf Zughayer, a member of Hamas who was arrested in 2002 for driving terrorists to their targets. Among them was a suicide bomber who killed six people by blowing up a bus. According to court documents, Mr. Zughayer pleaded guilty.

Mr. Zughayer, 46, was released on Saturday afternoon along with 199 other prisoners.

Guided by a colonel, the soldiers entered the building of the Zughayer family with guns raised and beat several people, including the father of Mr. Zughayer and a Times reporter conducting the interview. The soldiers arrested the brother of Mr. Zughayer also dismissed the reporters, then left an hour later.

For years, Israeli security forces have discouraged and often broken up family events celebrating the liberation of Palestinian forces, saying the gatherings incite unrest, harbor terrorists and encourage support for violence. Critics say the intervention increases Palestinian apathy toward Israel, perpetuating the cycle of violence.

Israel has been particularly assertive in suppressing celebrations of prisoners released under the terms of a cease-fire in Gaza. Israeli officials are concerned that they could help bolster the popularity of Hamas, which led an October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed up to 1,200 people. Dozens of Palestinians released on Saturday were deported to Egypt instead of being allowed to return home, in part for that reason.

The Israeli military said in a statement that it raided the home of the Zughayer family because it “received intelligence information and videos of gunfire and incitement to terrorism in the area.” The statement said the soldiers were trying to “eliminate the threat of fire” and raise their weapons against “armed people.” An Israeli military official said the brother was arrested for displaying the Hamas flag.

Earlier in the day, pictures circulated on social media showed Mr. Zughayer wearing a Hamas scarf and being paraded in a car in his neighborhood, surrounded by a group of other men holding Hamas flags – an act banned in Israel.

By the time New York Times reporters arrived at the scene a few hours later, the situation had calmed down. They saw Mr. Zughayer wearing a small Hamas scarf before the child ran away with it, about an hour before the attack. A second child wearing a cap with a Hamas logo left the house at the same time.

About 22 others, including young children, were wearing unmarked clothing and there were no flags on display. No one was armed, and the brother of Mr. Zughayer did not display the Hamas flag, the reporters said.

This home is owned by the father of Mr. Zughayer, Munir Zughayer, who is a well-known community organizer. Munir Zughayer connects the residents of the poor neighborhood with the leadership of the Jerusalem municipality, as well as between the families of the imprisoned Palestinians and the Israeli prison authorities. He said he was not a member of Hamas.

After raiding the family’s yard around 5:30 p.m., the soldiers passed through the yard where they were gathered, without stopping to check the situation or the people inside, said reporters.

One soldier immediately used the muzzle of his loaded gun to hit Aaron Boxrman, a Times reporter who was standing near the courtyard entrance. Before Mr. Boxerman got a chance to show himself, the soldier hit him in the ribs, leaving a big wound.

A second Times reporter, Natan Odenheimer, then identified himself as a reporter, a video taped by the Times shows. The same soldier told Mr. Odenheimer says he doesn’t care, he uses profanity to emphasize his point. The soldier pointed to Mr. Odenheimer with its loaded gun, videos show.

The soldiers also pointed their guns at some of the people present. The video shows those who attended the event quickly complying with the orders of the soldiers and appear to be non-threatening. The soldiers shouted at the relatives of Mr. Zughayer; he said and pushed his father to his chest.

The military said in a statement that it regretted “any harm caused to journalists while on duty,” and that it did not intend to target “non-involved civilians, or journalists as such.” It said was investigating the incident.

A spokesperson for The Times said it had lodged a complaint with the Israeli military about the attack on Mr Boxerman.