Israel indicts Hamas tunnel engineer

Akram Juda is accused of significant responsibilities for electricity in Hamas' Gaza tunnel network as well as assembling engines for drilling underground passageways.

By YONAH JEREMY BOB
Hamas terror operatives in Gaza tunnel (photo credit: REUTERS)
Hamas terror operatives in Gaza tunnel
(photo credit: REUTERS)
The Southern District Attorney’s Office on Tuesday filed an indictment with the Beersheba District Court against Akram Juda, a Hamas tunnels engineer.
Juda is accused of being responsible for electricity in Hamas’s Gaza Strip tunnels network, as well as of assembling engines for drilling the tunnels. The indictment alleged that Juda was responsible for electricity and engineering issues for five of Hamas’s attack tunnels, which allowed the terrorist organization to progress behind the IDF’s defense lines during this summer’s war.
He was also involved as a Hamas engineer in the construction of rockets and bombs, according to the indictment.
The indictment charged Juda with conspiracy to commit murder, security crimes against the state, activity in an illegal organization, contact with foreign agents, and weapons-related charges, among others.
The state asked that Juda be remanded to police custody until the end of the trial proceedings against him.
Juda started working to recruit for Islamic Jihad between 2001 and 2002, moving on to political work in 2003, the indictment said, adding that in 2004 he joined the Seraya al-Quds military wing of Islamic Jihad.
From 2005 to 2006, Juda, under a public cover that he was caring for rabbits, rented a residence in which he manufactured 30 rockets and five bombs for Islamic Jihad.
Between 2007 and 2008, Bassam al-Sultan, in charge of Hamas’s naval police and the elite “Imad Ekel” unit, offered Juda to join Hamas and he accepted, according to the indictment.
The indictment alleged that he set up electricity in Hamas command centers that manufactured rockets during that time period.
In 2009, noted the indictment, a Hamas commander known as “al-Ashmai” offered Juda to work on electricity in the tunnels network, paying him $300 per month.
In recent years, Juda also did private electrical work, but carried on with fixing Hamas’s tunnel drills and installing security cameras around Hamas commanders’ residences, according to the indictment.