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Accused kidnappers are rogue Hamas branch

The Hebron-based Qawasmeh family may not be under the direct control of Hamas, but its actions have placed Hamas in Israel's sights with regard to the kidnapping of three Israeli students.
The son of Amer Abu Aysha holds his father's picture as he poses with his grandfather (C), grandmother (R) and his mother for media in their house in the West Bank city of Hebron June 27, 2014. Israel on Thursday named Abu Aysha as one of two leading suspects from a group of Hamas Islamists it suspects are behind the June 12 kidnappings of three Israeli teenagers, in the most concrete report yet of results after weeks of searches in the occupied West Bank. Israel's Shin Bet Security Agency said in a stateme
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On June 26, the Shin Bet allowed the release of the names of the two men suspected of orchestrating the kidnapping of the three yeshiva (religious high school) students in the Etzion settlement bloc. The suspects are Marwan Qawasmeh and Amar Abu Aisha.

According to Palestinian sources, Palestinian security forces had already reported to Israel that these two suspects had disappeared from Hebron within 24 hours of the abduction. That was the first clue in the investigation and the reason why Israel pointed an accusatory finger at the Hamas infrastructure in Hebron. But while Israel continues to accuse the Hamas movement and its leadership of being responsible for the abduction, Palestinian security forces attribute the abduction to the Qawasmeh clan of Hebron specifically. Though the clan is known for identifying with Hamas, it also has a well-earned reputation as troublemakers. Not only does it tend to ignore the movement’s leaders. It even acts counter to the policies being advocated by the movement.

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