Israa Jaabis | |
---|---|
Nationality | Palestinian |
Occupation | Prisoner |
Known for | Convicted for the 2015 car explosion incident in Jerusalem |
Criminal penalty | 11 years imprisonment |
Israa Jaabis (Arabic: إسراء جعابيص) is a Palestinian woman who was imprisoned in Israel from 2015 to 2023. Jaabis seriously injured herself and police officer Moshe Chen when she allegedly detonated a car bomb in 2015, according to Israeli authorities.[1][2] Her family, however, claims that the fire originated from a fault in her car.[3]
According to the Israeli police, Jaabis, a 31-year-old Palestinian, planned to detonate a gas tank near a soldiers' hitchhiking station close to Ma'ale Adumim. According to the Shin Bet, officer Moshe Chen stopped Jaabis's car, at which point she yelled "Allahu Akbar" and detonated the bomb. Moshe, who sustained injuries in the attack, including burns to his face and chest, received a commendation from the police for his actions. Jaabis was evacuated to hospital in Jerusalem with burns to her entire body.[4] Shin Bet also said notes expressing support for "martyrs" were discovered on Jaabis.[5][6]
According to Jaabis's lawyer, her objective may have been "suicide by cop" rather than a politically-motivated attack. Al-Arabiya and other Arab media published a version where the engine of the car failed, causing a fire that ignited butane tanks she was transporting for personal use, and Jaabis was not permitted to leave the vehicle.[7]
In Israeli prison, having suffered serious facial burns, she put forward requests for facial surgery to reconstruct her features. However, these requests were turned down by Israel's prison authorities.[3]
On 26 November 2023, Jaabis was released as part of a prisoner swap between Hamas and Israel government in exchange for Israeli hostages held in Gaza.[8] She had been released eight years into her sentence, and upon receiving freedom she was pictured hugging her son Mua'tassim, 15, who was eight years old at the time of his mother's detainment.[3]
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