'Collaborators' released by captors

Both men shot in legs before being released to house arrest in Gaza.

By JPOST STAFF, AP
hamas 88 (photo credit: )
hamas 88
(photo credit: )
Armed Palestinians released two men on Tuesday after holding them in captivity since last week, Army Radio reported. The two men, from Gaza, were accused of collaborating with Israel, Army Radio reported. As punishment, before the men were released they were each shot in the legs by their captors. The two men were abducted a week ago by a group, which calls itself "Knights of the Storm of the Fatah." The group's spokesman said that they abducted the men in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis after Palestinian officials refused demands to arrest them. The gunmen, who said they are affiliated with Abbas' ruling Fatah faction, said that a lengthy interrogation of the men revealed that they had been giving Israeli security information about local terror organizations for two years. "God willing we will continue to act against all the collaborators, and we urge the Palestinian Authority to shoulder its responsibility and to act against the collaborators," the group said in a statement. The "collaborators" were released on terms of house arrest for a period of nine months, their identification cards were confiscated, and they were forbidden to use a telephone.