Longest-serving Lebanese prisoner in Israel killed in Syria

[rooster59]

Longest-serving Lebanese prisoner in Israel killed in Syria

ZEINA KARAM, Associated Press


BEIRUT (AP) — Samir Kantar, a Lebanese who was convicted of carrying out one of the most notorious attacks in Israeli history and spent nearly three decades in an Israeli prison, has been killed by an Israeli airstrike near the Syrian capital, the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah group said Sunday.

Hezbollah said Kantar, known in Lebanon as "The Dean of Lebanese Prisoners" for being the longest-held prisoner in Israel, was killed along with eight others in the strike in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana Saturday night.

Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV said two Israeli warplanes that violated Syrian airspace fired four long-range missiles at the residential building in Jaramana Saturday night. It aired footage of what it said was the building, which appeared to be completely destroyed. Kantar's brother, Bassam, confirmed his "martyrdom" in a Facebook posting Sunday.

There was no immediate comment from Israel. The Israeli news website Ynet ran a headline Sunday saying: "The account is now closed."

Kantar and four Hezbollah guerrillas were freed in 2008 in exchange for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers captured by Hezbollah in 2006, whose capture sparked a 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah. His release was highly controversial in Israel, where he is believed to be the perpetrator of one of the most grisly attacks in Israeli history.

As a teenager, Kantar joined a Palestinian militant group known as the "Palestine Liberation Front" at the height of Palestinian-Israeli violence in the Middle East and at a time when most Palestinian groups were based in Lebanon.

Kantar was imprisoned in 1979 in Israel and sentenced to three life terms after he and three other Lebanese infiltrated the Jewish State in 1979 and staged an attack in the northern coastal town of Nahariya, killing a policeman and then kidnapping a man, Danny Haran, and his 4-year-old daughter and killing them outside their home.

Israel says Kantar, who was 16 at the time, beat the girl to death by bashing her head with a rifle butt. He denies this, saying the girl was killed in the crossfire. As the attack unfolded, the girl's mother, Smadar Haran, hid inside a crawl space inside their home and accidentally smothered their crying 2-year-old daughter, fearing Kantar would find them.

The widow, Smadar Haran, told Israel's Army Radio Sunday that Kantar's killing was a "historic justice."

Israel held on to Kantar for decades, hoping to use him as a bargaining chip to win new information about an Israeli airman whose plane crashed in Lebanon in 1986. It ultimately traded him in 2008 along with four other Lebanese prisoners in exchange for the bodies of two of its soldiers.

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah insisted at the time that Kantar be included in any swap.

Kantar, 53, received a hero's welcome upon his return to Lebanon. Assad awarded him the country's highest medal during a trip he made to Damascus that year.

Soon afterward, Kantar, a Druze, joined Hezbollah, his role growing quietly within the group's ranks particularly following the group's involvement in the civil war in Syria in support of President Bashar Assad's forces.

Kantar is the most high profile Hezbollah fighter to be killed since last year.

In January 2014, the Lebanese group accused Israel of carrying out an airstrike on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights, which killed several Hezbollah members and a prominent Iranian general. Among the Hezbollah members was Jihad Mughniyeh, the son of Imad Mughniyeh, a top Hezbollah operative assassinated in 2008 in Damascus.

Hezbollah reported Kantar's killing but did not immediately vow revenge for his killing, as it did for Mughniyeh's killing.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-12-20

[Jingthing]

It's about time!

[JHolmesJr]

How are these guys allowed to operate Facebook accounts?

[uptheos]

That seems fair, 30 years in prison and then blow him to pieces in an airstrike..........justice has been done for this Hezbollah scum.

[Seastallion]

"The Israeli news website Ynet ran a headline Sunday saying: "The account is now closed."

Kantar and four Hezbollah guerrillas were freed in 2008 in exchange for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers"

Again, Israel reneging on a deal. If it considers the "account" was still open after agreeing to a deal. Typical arrogance and deceit.

Edited December 20, 2015 by Seastallion

[tartempion]

Can't they do the same to Assad? Then we could send the 75 refugee children back to Syria who will be staying next month in a residence next to my Belgian home, and I mean next as the next house to my home.

[Jingthing]

Can't they do the same to Assad? Then we could send the 75 refugee children back to Syria who will be staying next month in a residence next to my Belgian home, and I mean next as the next house to my home.

I don't think it would be that easy. Yes easy enough to get Assad. Not a panacea to do so.

[dundee48]

Excellent news.So he received a hero`s welcome when he returned home after smashing a little girls head in,that tells you all you need to know about this scum and his scum bretheren.

[NeverSure]

Can't they do the same to Assad? Then we could send the 75 refugee children back to Syria who will be staying next month in a residence next to my Belgian home, and I mean next as the next house to my home.

[Ulysses G.]

Again, Israel reneging on a deal. If it considers the "account" was still open after agreeing to a deal. Typical arrogance and deceit.

Israel let him go EIGHT YEARS AGO as they promised. They never said that he would live forever.

Besides, the guy that you are standing up for was a child murdering Islamic terrorist.

[arunsakda]

Good riddance to bad garbage!

[Seastallion]

Israel let him go EIGHT YEARS AGO as they promised. They never said that he would live forever.

Besides, the guy that you are standing up for was a child murdering Islamic terrorist.

I'm not standing up for him in the slightest. Please, try to comprehend what is written before commenting.

Your argument for the extra-judicial assasination is as hollow as saying, "When we agreed to the borders twenty years ago, we never said we won't expand beyond them".

There are implicit understandings when an agreement is made. Sensible people know this.

What Israel has done with this treachery is ensure no more prisoner swaps unless they come at a very high price and with strict caveats. Israel has shown, yet again, that it can't be trusted.

[Ulysses G.]

I'm not standing up for him in the slightest.

Of COURSE you are standing up for the Islamic terrorist. You do it constantly.

As to the rest of your ridiculous argument, you might have a point if Israel put the terrorist down after a day or two or even a month,but all bets are off EIGHT YEARS after they let him go.

Edited December 20, 2015 by Ulysses G.

[Seastallion]

I'm not standing up for him in the slightest.

Of COURSE you are standing up for the Islamic terrorist. You do it constantly.

As to the rest of your ridiculous argument, you might have a point if Israel put the terrorist down after a day or two or even a month,but all bets are off EIGHT YEARS after they let him go.

Oh dear. .

Yet AGAIN there is a complete lack of any ability to comprehend what is read. Please point out the words that make you think I'm standing up for the victim in the OP?

And stop your pointless, baiting, especially since it is based on what you imagine you have read, not on what was actually written.

My stance hinges on the reported phrase, "The account is now closed". Try, try really hard, to comprehend what that phrase implies.

[Ulysses G.]

Do ever tire of denying the obvious?

[Scott]

I strongly suggest you limit yourself to the topic.

Inflammatory, off-topic and troll posts will result in suspensions.

[Somtamnication]

Live by the sword, die by the sword. Simple, really.

[TimmyT]

"The Israeli news website Ynet ran a headline Sunday saying: "The account is now closed."

Kantar and four Hezbollah guerrillas were freed in 2008 in exchange for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers"

Again, Israel reneging on a deal. If it considers the "account" was still open after agreeing to a deal. Typical arrogance and deceit.

typical left-liberal antisemitism.

if terrorist took hostages, and government promises to give him 10 million dollars in cash and a helicopter - it does not make it's a deal between the terrorist and the government. it does mean that any normal state will (and ought to) wait for any possibility to save hostages and kill the terrorist without regard to any "deal"

[oneday]

Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone, and another one gone
Another one bites the dust
Hey, I'm gonna get you, too
Another one bites the dust

[Seastallion]

"The Israeli news website Ynet ran a headline Sunday saying: "The account is now closed."

Kantar and four Hezbollah guerrillas were freed in 2008 in exchange for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers"

Again, Israel reneging on a deal. If it considers the "account" was still open after agreeing to a deal. Typical arrogance and deceit.

typical left-liberal antisemitism.

if terrorist took hostages, and government promises to give him 10 million dollars in cash and a helicopter - it does not make it's a deal between the terrorist and the government. it does mean that any normal state will (and ought to) wait for any possibility to save hostages and kill the terrorist without regard to any "deal"

I think you'll find that most antisemitism come from the extreme right, you know, neo-nazis and Ku Klux klan et al and thus typical left-liberals are not antisemitic.

Anyway, you're using the baseless and false diversionary tactic of labeling any criticism of the Israeli government as antisemitism. It's not.

If any government frees a prisoner in a deal, that prisoner is freed. If they later assassinate him for the same crime, then they have reneged. If Israel didn't want to free him, they should have kept him locked up. It shows how unscrupulous Israel can be.

It will also make future deals, when Israel wants something, harder to accomplish. Nobody can trust them.

[Credo]

"The Israeli news website Ynet ran a headline Sunday saying: "The account is now closed."

Kantar and four Hezbollah guerrillas were freed in 2008 in exchange for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers"

Again, Israel reneging on a deal. If it considers the "account" was still open after agreeing to a deal. Typical arrogance and deceit.

typical left-liberal antisemitism.

if terrorist took hostages, and government promises to give him 10 million dollars in cash and a helicopter - it does not make it's a deal between the terrorist and the government. it does mean that any normal state will (and ought to) wait for any possibility to save hostages and kill the terrorist without regard to any "deal"

I think you'll find that most antisemitism come from the extreme right, you know, neo-nazis and Ku Klux klan et al and thus typical left-liberals are not antisemitic.

Anyway, you're using the baseless and false diversionary tactic of labeling any criticism of the Israeli government as antisemitism. It's not.

If any government frees a prisoner in a deal, that prisoner is freed. If they later assassinate him for the same crime, then they have reneged. If Israel didn't want to free him, they should have kept him locked up. It shows how unscrupulous Israel can be.

It will also make future deals, when Israel wants something, harder to accomplish. Nobody can trust them.

No, it means that justice has been served.

[Friendly Stranger]

With the appropriate music. The merry go round goes round and round, round and round...

This will never ever be stopped by either side. Read about 3 rockets being fired too.

How sad this is almost not news anymore..

Enough!

[Seastallion]

"The Israeli news website Ynet ran a headline Sunday saying: "The account is now closed."

Kantar and four Hezbollah guerrillas were freed in 2008 in exchange for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers"

Again, Israel reneging on a deal. If it considers the "account" was still open after agreeing to a deal. Typical arrogance and deceit.

typical left-liberal antisemitism.

if terrorist took hostages, and government promises to give him 10 million dollars in cash and a helicopter - it does not make it's a deal between the terrorist and the government. it does mean that any normal state will (and ought to) wait for any possibility to save hostages and kill the terrorist without regard to any "deal"

I think you'll find that most antisemitism come from the extreme right, you know, neo-nazis and Ku Klux klan et al and thus typical left-liberals are not antisemitic.

Anyway, you're using the baseless and false diversionary tactic of labeling any criticism of the Israeli government as antisemitism. It's not.

If any government frees a prisoner in a deal, that prisoner is freed. If they later assassinate him for the same crime, then they have reneged. If Israel didn't want to free him, they should have kept him locked up. It shows how unscrupulous Israel can be.

It will also make future deals, when Israel wants something, harder to accomplish. Nobody can trust them.

No, it means that justice has been served.

Justice was when he received three life sentences. That the Israeli government chose to release him was their choice. They decided when he was captured that justice would be 3 life sentences. I have no argument with that. But they decided to free him and then assassinate him. THAT is extra-judicial, and can not be called justice.

You may think he deserved to die....and arguably perhaps he did. But the time to do that was when they had him, not after they chose to release him to gain something for themselves, ie they made a deal.

They are untrustworthy liars.

[Ulysses G.]

You may think he deserved to die....and arguably perhaps he did. But the time to do that was when they had him, not after they chose to release him to gain something for themselves, ie they made a deal.

They are untrustworthy liars.

Show us the part of the deal where they said that he could do whatever he wanted without further consequences for the rest of his life. They got the scumbag EIGHT YEARS LATER. The deal was LONG over with.

[Seastallion]

You may think he deserved to die....and arguably perhaps he did. But the time to do that was when they had him, not after they chose to release him to gain something for themselves, ie they made a deal.

They are untrustworthy liars.

Show us the part of the deal where they said that he could do whatever he wanted without further consequences for the rest of his life. They got the scumbag EIGHT YEARS LATER. The deal was LONG over with.

I do wish you'd take the advice so often offered and try to comprehend.

According to the OP, "The account is now closed", which implies they got him for the past crimes DESPITE having chosen to free him. If they didn't think he was worthy of release, they should have kept him and made him face the justice that they first handed down, ie 3 life terms.

Show us where he continued to offend. What has " EIGHT YEARS" got to do with it? Are you saying any deal has a statute of limitations...like the Israel border, perhaps? If I pay you money for a book, can I walk into your shop 8 years later and take the money back?

Edited December 21, 2015 by Seastallion

[Thorgal]

Apparently psychologist and former senior police officer Zvi Sela denied that al-Kuntar had killed the Haran family.

Between 1995 and 1998 he served as Chief Intelligence Officer of the Israel Prison Service and met al-Kuntar in prison in this capacity. In an interview with Haaretz he claimed:

Quote from link :

"We turned Kuntar into God-knows-what – the murderer of Danny Haran and his daughter, Einat. The man who smashed in the girl's head. That's nonsense. A story. A fairy tale. He told me he didn't do it and I believe him. I investigated the event… and in my opinion there is support for the fact that they were killed by fire from the Israeli rescue forces. You can accuse him all you like, but it was obviously the rescue forces that opened fire."

http://www.haaretz.com/israel-could-have-made-peace-with-hamas-under-yassin-1.274217

[Steely Dan]

"The Israeli news website Ynet ran a headline Sunday saying: "The account is now closed."

Kantar and four Hezbollah guerrillas were freed in 2008 in exchange for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers"

Again, Israel reneging on a deal. If it considers the "account" was still open after agreeing to a deal. Typical arrogance and deceit.

So I take it you are siding with the scum who crushed the skull of a four year old girl with his rifle butt? Can't say I'm surprised anymore.

[Seastallion]

"The Israeli news website Ynet ran a headline Sunday saying: "The account is now closed."

Kantar and four Hezbollah guerrillas were freed in 2008 in exchange for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers"

Again, Israel reneging on a deal. If it considers the "account" was still open after agreeing to a deal. Typical arrogance and deceit.

So I take it you are siding with the scum who crushed the skull of a four year old girl with his rifle butt? Can't say I'm surprised anymore.

Do try to keep up. You've failed in this post to display a grasp of what has been said.

Try to read all the posts before replying with an ill-informed assumption.

[Steely Dan]

"The Israeli news website Ynet ran a headline Sunday saying: "The account is now closed."

Kantar and four Hezbollah guerrillas were freed in 2008 in exchange for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers"

Again, Israel reneging on a deal. If it considers the "account" was still open after agreeing to a deal. Typical arrogance and deceit.

So I take it you are siding with the scum who crushed the skull of a four year old girl with his rifle butt? Can't say I'm surprised anymore.

Do try to keep up. You've failed in this post to display a grasp of what has been said.

Try to read all the posts before replying with an ill-informed assumption.

Nope, I prefer to rely on credible witness testimony and forensic evidence not a fringe far left publication.

Kuntar was also planning a terrorist attack when killed, so there is even more reason to celebrate.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4741879,00.html

Edited December 21, 2015 by Steely Dan

[Scott]

Reported posts and replies removed.