The Palestinian militants who were the target of the Israeli raid on a Jericho prison have surrendered to Israeli authorities.
The raid targeted Ahmed Saadat of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Saadat is accused of ordering the murder of Israeli Tourism Minister member Rehavam Zeevi in 2001. Four of the five other militants who surrendered to Israeli authorities were accused of carrying out the killing.
'We couldn't have a situation where murderers would be walking around free instead of being behind lock and key,' Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said.
The Israeli government felt it had to act immediately due to threats made by the new Hamas-led government to release Saadat. Saadat remained in a Palestinian jail under a special agreement between the Palestinian Authority and Israel.
British and American monitors were there to watch Saadat. The monitors left shortly before the raid took place. The Israelis said the departure of the monitors also made their action necessary. Earlier in the week, the monitors complained about the lack of security in the prison and said if things did not improve, they would have to leave. The monitors feared for their own safety.
Saadat and the other wanted PFLP militants were among the last to surrender. At first, they claimed they would not be taken alive but eventually, they walked out of the prison in a single file line.
Among those captured by the IDF was Fuad Shobaki, the mastermind responsible for importing illegal weapons to the Palestinian Authority years ago.
Israeli government spokesman Raanan Gissin said the men would be put on trial.
Palestinian militants in the West Bank and Gaza Strip blamed the Americans and British for the raid. The British council offices were set on fire and foreigners were kidnapped indiscriminately.
The PFLP warned that it would target any British citizens or American citizens it could fine in the area. Foreign employees of the U.N. Relief Works Agency also temporarily pulled its workers out of Palestinian areas in fear of their safety.
Palmach Zeevi, the son of the slain Israeli minister, was pleased with the raid. Speaking on Israeli TV, he said, 'If dad was alive today ... he would have said this is the right thing to do.'
