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Israelis 'free Hamas deputy PM' Israel frees Hamas deputy premier
(about 1 hour later)
An Israeli military court has ordered the release of the Palestinian deputy prime minister because of a lack of evidence against him, his lawyer says. An Israeli military court has released the Palestinian deputy prime minister, six weeks after detaining him in a crackdown on the Hamas movement.
Nasser al-Shaer was detained six weeks ago during a crackdown on the ruling Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. Nasser al-Shaer is the most senior politician to be freed from dozens arrested after Hamas militants captured an Israeli soldier near Gaza in June.
Israeli officials have not confirmed the release and said they were checking the lawyer's comments. "There was no basis for his arrest. This is natural," his lawyer said.
Mr Shaer was not at home when troops detained dozens of Hamas legislators in June, but was seized later. About 30 Hamas figures remain in Israeli custody, some facing charges of membership of a terrorist organisation.
He would be the most senior Hamas official to be released since the arrests, which came after Hamas's armed wing claimed joint responsibility for the capture of an Israeli soldier near the Gaza Strip in June. Mr Shaer managed to evade arrest for several weeks during the summer after Israeli troops seized dozens of Hamas officials following the capture of Cpl Gilad Shalit in June.
The court order reportedly that said Mr Shaer must stay out of Ramallah, where the Palestinian government is situated, for two weeks. Israeli troops burst into a house in the West Bank city of Ramallah where he was hiding on 19 August.
His wife confirmed to the BBC that her husband had been set free and was travelling home to Nablus in the northern West Bank. Separately on Wednesday, an Israeli air strike in southern Gaza killed a 14-year-old Palestinian girl and injured several other civilians, Palestinian medics said.
As well as deputy prime minister, Mr Shaer served as minister of education and training in the Hamas-led government which was elected by a landslide in March. The circumstances of the death are not clear, but Israel said it had fired at an arms smuggling tunnel.
'Illegal arrest'
The court order under which Mr Shaer was released reportedly says he must stay out of Ramallah, where the Palestinian government is situated, for two weeks.
On Monday, a military court refused to release 21 other detained Hamas officials on bail before legal proceedings against them had been concluded.
Mr Shaer's wife, who had campaigned for his release, confirmed to the BBC that her husband had been set free and was travelling home to Nablus in the northern West Bank.
As well as being deputy prime minister, Mr Shaer served as minister of education and training in the Hamas-led government which was elected by a landslide in March.
Government spokesman Ghazi Hamad said Mr Shaer's detention had been "political and illegal", and called charges against his colleagues "fabricated".
The movement does not recognise Israel's right to exist, which prompted western powers to stop funding to the Palestinian Authority, causing a serious humanitarian crisis in areas it controls.The movement does not recognise Israel's right to exist, which prompted western powers to stop funding to the Palestinian Authority, causing a serious humanitarian crisis in areas it controls.