Maariv: Hamas Tunnels Foil Bashar Al-Masri's Project in Jerusalem

SadaNews - A commercial plan by Palestinian businessman Bashar Al-Masri was on its way to approval in the Jerusalem municipality, but it was halted after a lawsuit was filed against him in the United States, alleging that his properties in Gaza were used to serve Hamas tunnels, providing them with water and electricity, according to the Hebrew newspaper Maariv.

The Israeli Interior Committee is scheduled to hold a special session tomorrow (Monday) titled: "Examining the Involvement of Entities Suspected of Terrorism in Planning Procedures." This session was decided upon after the approval of Bashar Al-Masri's plan was removed at the last minute from the agenda of the district committee in Jerusalem, amid allegations that his Gaza properties formed a terrorist base for Hamas tunnels and headquarters.

It is noteworthy that after Maariv's inquiry on the matter, Jerusalem's Deputy Mayor Arieh King moved quickly to have the construction plan removed from the agenda. The plan had received approval from the local committee before the war, but it was not ratified by the district committee within 18 months as required by law. It is now being examined whether a representative of the Shas movement, Natan Natan, who holds the position of head of the National Planning Council at the Interior Ministry, granted an extension beyond the 18-month duration.

Eliyahu Rauberger, the acting mayor of Jerusalem and head of the local planning and building committee, and a member of the district committee, told Maariv: "I congratulate the head of the district committee, Shira Tilmi, on her decision to remove the subject from the committee's agenda next Monday. I will later demand an in-depth examination of the request as a whole."

In a message sent by Kruizer, who also moved to cancel the approval session for Al-Masri's plans, he stated: "I am approaching you in my capacity as chairman of the Internal Affairs and Environmental Protection Committee in the Knesset, following an urgent plea from the families of the victims of October 7: Ruby Han, Eyal Valdman, and Yizhar Shay. Next Monday, the district committee intends to discuss the approval of granting land in a strategic location opposite the Old City walls to Palestinian businessman Bashar Al-Masri to establish a hotel and luxury complexes - a decision that constitutes a major moral and ethical failure."

He added: "Based on the serious facts presented to me, a substantial lawsuit is underway against Al-Masri in the United States by the victims' families, alleging that he funded Hamas and allowed the use of his Gaza properties for tunnels and headquarters used in the massacre of our children and soldiers. In the United States, Al-Masri was removed from the board of Harvard University due to the evidence, while in Israel, he continues to pursue his business unimpeded."

The message also stated: "Given the seriousness of the matters, I inform you that I have decided to hold an emergency session in the Internal Affairs and Environmental Protection Committee in the Knesset next Monday, 9.2.26, at 9:00 AM. Accordingly, I demand that you immediately stop and remove the scheduled session in the district committee on Monday, and postpone it at least until after the Internal Committee session and draw conclusions. It is unreasonable for planning institutions to impose facts on the ground in such a sensitive location for the benefit of someone suspected of collaborating with the killers of our sons and daughters, before the matter is clarified in depth within the appropriate parliamentary framework."