Israel court extends detention of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh’s sister

An Israeli court has extended the detention of the sister of Hamas’s political leader this week for the third time, under allegations that she has links to her brother’s organisation.

Two weeks ago, 57-year-old Sabah – a mother of six and a grandmother who suffers from health issues – was arrested and abducted by Israeli Occupation forces from her home in the village of Tel Al-Saba in southern Israel. Police also arrested two of her sons, who were later released.

A police spokesperson, at the time, was quoted by the AFP news agency as alleging that she was “suspected of having contact with Hamas operatives and identifying with the organisation while inciting and supporting acts of terrorism in Israel”.

The police and the internal security agency, Shin Bet, also stated that they found “documents, means of communication, phones and other evidence linking her to serious security offences” at her house, as well as hundreds of thousands of shekels in cash.

According to the news outlet, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Sabah’s detention was yesterday prolonged by two days, making it the third time Israeli authorities extended her time in custody. Khaled Zabarqa, her lawyer, reported that prosecutors requested the extension to reportedly complete an investigation into charges such as “incitement” and “communication with a foreign agent”.

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