Hamas Terrorist Who Trained in Al Qaeda Camp Gets 27 Years in Prison

Israel Defense Forces ^ | February 4rd, 2003 | IDF Spokesperson's Unit

[yonif]

February 4rd, 2003

Hamas Terrorist Who Trained in Al Qaeda Camp Gets 27 Years in Prison

Nabil Madiras Muhammad Abu Okal, a Hamas terrorist who had trained in an Al Qaeda camp in Afghanistan, was sentenced yesterday (3 Feb.) to 27 years in prison and a further five years on probation by a Military Court in Gaza.

Nabil Okal was convicted for laying the groundwork enabling terrorists to carry out terrorist attacks in Israel. He received thousands of dollars for his terrorist activities from Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, Hamas' spiritual leader.

Okal dispatched many Palestinians to carry out terror attacks in Israel, and even recruited Israeli Arabs for the same purpose.

Israeli security forces arrested Okal, a 30-year-old resident of Jabalya (in the northern Gaza Strip), on June 1, 2000 at the Rafah Checkpoint.

Okal trained with terrorists close to Osama Bin Laden in an Al Qaeda Afghani camp and was sent on his mission by Al Qaeda in June 2000, with the aim of setting up an Al Qaeda network in the Palestinian territories.

He was convicted for a series of felonies that included his participation in paramilitary training abroad in which he learned how to prepare and use explosives as well as to carry out terror attacks.

Training in Use of Explosives

Chapter four of the indictment:

Nabil Okal learned how to make a variety of different explosive charges, including explosives with a TNT base, pipe bombs and bombs concealed in cans or suitcases. He also learned how to build detonator systems.

During his training in Afghanistan Okal received a one-month course in how to launch missiles.

Okal Planned to Abduct IDF Soldiers.

Chapter five of the indictment:

Nabil Okal accepted the orders sent to him by his commanders, to carry out terrorist attacks against Israelis. For this, he decided to recruit Israeli Arabs, who have total freedom of movement in Israel, and to ask them for precise information on the IDF.

He also decided to go through with a plan to abduct an IDF soldier, with the aid of an accomplice. The two had drawn up a plan upon their return from the Al Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan. The plan was for Okal to abduct a soldier, and to then inject the soldier with powerful sedatives. Okal's accomplice trained by injecting sedatives into rabbits, which died as a result.

Okal was also keen to carry out terrorist attacks in Israeli military installations, by means of explosive devices detonated by cellular phones.