IDF detained Mahmoud Al Najjar at Kerem Shalom crossing Tuesday while traveling to study medicine at Tor Vergata, accusing him of Hamas affiliation.
8:07 PM
Israeli Defense Forces arrested a Palestinian student at the Kerem Shalom crossing on Tuesday while he was traveling to Italy to pursue university studies, according to Israeli military officials and Gaza-based news outlets.
Mahmoud Al Najjar, originally from Jabaliya in northern Gaza, was stopped while en route to Rome's Tor Vergata University, where he had been admitted to study medicine and complete a specialization. The IDF accused him of being an operative with Hamas's northern brigade and of participating in the October 7, 2023 attack.
Al Najjar had obtained permission to leave Gaza after months of efforts to secure an exit permit. He was part of a group of 18 Palestinian students approved for university study programs in Italy and was scheduled to depart Tuesday with 17 other young people bound for Rome.
Israeli military spokesperson Ariella Mazor confirmed the arrest on social media platform X in response to reporting by Drop Site, a Gaza-based news outlet. The IDF statement identified Al Najjar as "a militant of the northern brigade of Hamas who took part in the massacre of October 7, 2023."
According to journalist Muthanna al-Najjar, cited by Drop Site, Al Najjar had published three academic research articles prior to his arrest. Following his detention, authorities took him to an undisclosed location, the outlet reported.
The arrest drew attention from Al Najjar's family, who publicized the case on social media. Drop Site reported that Al Najjar had spent months attempting to obtain authorization to leave Gaza and pursue his studies abroad.
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