Israeli Supreme Court Releases Two Settlers Suspected of Killing Palestinian Maatan

Elisha Yered, 22, (right), handcuffed on his way to the Jerusalem Court, is one of two settlers suspected of involvement in the killing of Qusai Maatan. (AP)
Elisha Yered, 22, (right), handcuffed on his way to the Jerusalem Court, is one of two settlers suspected of involvement in the killing of Qusai Maatan. (AP)
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Israeli Supreme Court Releases Two Settlers Suspected of Killing Palestinian Maatan

Elisha Yered, 22, (right), handcuffed on his way to the Jerusalem Court, is one of two settlers suspected of involvement in the killing of Qusai Maatan. (AP)
Elisha Yered, 22, (right), handcuffed on his way to the Jerusalem Court, is one of two settlers suspected of involvement in the killing of Qusai Maatan. (AP)

The Israeli Supreme Court released the two suspects accused of killing 19-year-old Palestinian Qusai Maatan and placed them under house arrest.

The court strongly criticized the police and intelligence services for not providing enough evidence, saying it did not meet the minimum standard required to establish the crime of manslaughter and that evidence submitted by the Shin Bet did not justify extending the detention.

Accordingly, Judge Zion Saharai decided to release the two settlers and transfer them to house arrest.

The police representative announced at the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court hearing that a "pathology report in Arabic" was issued about the autopsy of Maatan's body and that the police received a copy of it, including new information about the victim's shooting.

The new intelligence information changes the situation and justifies the request to extend the detention for a relatively long period.

Initially, the court extended the settlers' detention for five days, and the police charged them with causing death either on purpose or by negligence, a felony equivalent to murder, without aggravated circumstance, and obstruction of justice.

They later added nationalistically motivated arson to this list.

The defense lawyers of the suspected settlers appealed to the High Court, which postponed the release of Elisha Yered to house arrest and kept him in custody.

Judge Tamar Bar-Asher ruled that Yered should be released to house arrest because "no substantial evidence gathered thus far establishes reasonable suspicion."

The police asked to delay the settler's release until the appeal at the Supreme Court.

During the Supreme Court session, the Shin Bet provided confidential material.

However, Judge Rut Ronen refrained from including them in her ruling, saying the evidence presented by the police to prove that Yered obstructed the investigation into Maatan's death did not justify his continued detention.

Yered, who lives in the Ramat Migron settlement, is a former spokesman for Knesset member Limor Son Har-Melech of the Otzma Yehudit party, led by Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir.

Yered is a "central target" for the Shin Bet.

The second suspect, Yehiel Indore, will stay in custody due to injuries sustained during the attack. The court will consider extending his detention later, noting that he is the central suspect in the fatal shooting, and the charge of obstructing the investigation has been added to him.

Israeli forces arrested four Palestinians suspected of attacking the settlers during the incident and will likely be brought to a hearing for an extension in the coming days.

According to local sources in Burqa, settlers stormed last Friday the western and northwestern parts of the village under the protection of the Israeli army forces while the villagers rushed to defend their lands.

The sources stated that the settlers brought livestock during the raid, indicating their intention to seize lands to establish a "pastoral settlement."

They pointed out that the settlers burned at least two cars during the attack.



Lebanese PM's Office Denies US Asked Lebanon to Declare Unilateral Ceasefire with Israel

27 March 2023, Lebanon, Beirut: Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati speaks during a press conference following a meeting of cabinet. (Dalati & Nohra)
27 March 2023, Lebanon, Beirut: Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati speaks during a press conference following a meeting of cabinet. (Dalati & Nohra)
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Lebanese PM's Office Denies US Asked Lebanon to Declare Unilateral Ceasefire with Israel

27 March 2023, Lebanon, Beirut: Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati speaks during a press conference following a meeting of cabinet. (Dalati & Nohra)
27 March 2023, Lebanon, Beirut: Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati speaks during a press conference following a meeting of cabinet. (Dalati & Nohra)

The office of Lebanese caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati on Friday denied that the US had asked Lebanon to declare a unilateral ceasefire, after two sources told Reuters that a US envoy had made the request to inject momentum into stalled talks on a deal to end hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel.
In a statement to Reuters, Mikati's office said the government's stance was clear on seeking a ceasefire from both sides and the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the last round of conflict between the two foes in 2006.

Earlier, a senior Lebanese political source and a senior diplomat said the US had asked Lebanon to declare a unilateral ceasefire with Israel to revive stalled talks to end hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
They said the effort was communicated by US envoy Amos Hochstein to Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati this week, as the US stepped up diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
The US embassy in Beirut did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The sources said the US sought to persuade Beirut to take back some initiative in the talks, particularly given the perception that Israel will likely continue military operations that have already killed most of Hezbollah's leadership and destroyed much of the country's south.
Lebanon's armed forces are not involved in the hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which began firing rockets at Israeli military sites a year ago in solidarity with its Palestinian ally Hamas in Gaza.
Any effort to reach a ceasefire would need a green light from Hezbollah, which has ministers in Lebanon's cabinet and whose members and allies hold a significant number of seats in Lebanon's parliament.
Diplomats mediate with Hezbollah through the group's ally, Lebanese speaker of parliament Nabih Berri. Hezbollah has said it backs efforts by Berri to reach a ceasefire but says it must meet certain parameters, without providing details.
But a unilateral declaration was seen as a non-starter in Lebanon, the sources said, where it would likely be equated with a surrender.
DIPLOMATIC INITIATIVE
Another diplomat told Reuters that Hochstein had made a similar proposal months ago to Mikati and Berri.
Hochstein told them that if Hezbollah unilaterally declared a ceasefire, he "could have something to present" to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a diplomatic initiative.
"His exact words were, 'help me, help you," the diplomat said, adding that then-Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah rejected the idea. Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli air attack on Sept. 27 on Beirut's southern suburbs.
Despite its losses, Hezbollah has maintained that the Iran-backed group's chain of command is intact and its fighters have kept Israeli forces making ground incursions into Lebanon at bay.
The US has been pushing for a 60-day ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel as a prelude to a fuller implementation of 1701, sources told Reuters this week.
Hochstein was in Israel on Thursday with White House envoy Brett McGurk, but they did not continue on to Lebanon.
Speaking about Lebanon on Thursday, Netanyahu said that "agreements, documents, proposals....are not the main point."
"The main point is our ability and determination to enforce security, thwart attacks against us, and act against the arming of our enemies, as necessary and despite any pressure and constraints. This is the main point," he said.