A senior Hamas official, Hassan Salama, who is in prison in Israel, published a book he wrote called “The Buses Are Burning” from prison. The book deals with various terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas terrorists in the past in Israel and was published today (Thursday) in Gaza at a celebratory event of an organization in the presence of senior Hamas officials.
Salama, who has been in prison for 26 years, published his book in honor of the anniversary of the assassination of Yahya Ayish. He wrote the book inside the walls of the prison and in it he described how he was responsible for the murder of 46 Jews in particular in a suicide attack on line 18 in Jerusalem in 1996. Today the book was launched in Gaza, attended by senior Hamas officials including Mahmoud al-Zahar and members of Salma’s family.
Senior officials of the organization and family members at the launch event in Gaza
At the event, the deputy leader of Hamas, Saleh al-Aaruri, spoke and said that “as long as there are Palestinian prisoners in the prisons of the occupation – Hamas will continue to work for their release, the issue of the prisoners is at the top of our priorities.”
The Israeli Security Service responded: “The Israeli Security Service resolutely fights any attempt to smuggle reporters out of the prison by the security prisoners. Furthermore, prisoners associated with Hamas in Gaza are not entitled to family visits for over a decade. Therefore, to the extent that there is evidence of a connection between the prisoner and the publication of the book, he will be severely punished.”