Hamas military judges presiding over cases involving Islamic State supporters recently concluded legal proceedings on one such case by sentencing the defendants to prison for belonging to or supporting IS, a senior Palestinian jihadist told Breitbart Jerusalem.
According to Gaza-based, IS-supporting jihadist Abu Baker Almaqdesi, among those sentenced was a jihadist arrested for firing two rockets at Israel. The defendant received three months in jail.
Two others were sentenced to terms ranging from one year and eight months to two years for firing rockets and preparing explosives, Almaqdesi said. Three more were sentenced to prison terms of six to seven months for membership in an organization that supports IS or for showing solidarity with IS.
Last month, Breitbart Jerusalem reported that Hamas decided to try the jihadists in military courts that, until now, were reserved for those accused of cooperating with Israel or members of Hamas security forces accused of various crimes.
According to Almaqdesi, the sentences were proof of the “moral and religious maiming of Hamas.”
He continued, “What we always claimed Hamas proved … with its attempt to distance itself from Islam in favor of democratic values. We are used to Christians and infidels around the world working together with the tyrannical regimes and governments in the Arab world. These sentences won’t deter us. We will continue fighting for Islam and Allah and the best proof is that every day brothers are joining us who were among the ranks of Hamas.
“They have understood that Hamas can’t represent the ambitions of the Muslims and that Hamas isn’t interested in ruling according to Sharia law. The way of jihad, the way of faith, has never been easy, but with the help of Allah we won’t quit and won’t give up until we succeed in expelling from the land of Islam all tyrants and their crusader and infidel masters.”
According to Almaqdesi, “Our answer to Hamas will come very soon when they will see themselves that their members are flocking to our ranks. In any case, in Hamas they know that we get help from their people, which means they understand that the jihadists are deep inside Hamas and among the movement’s members.”