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Report: Son of Hamas Founder was Top Israeli Agent | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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JERUSALEM, (AP) – An Israeli newspaper is reporting that the son of one of Hamas’ founders served as a top informant for Israel for more than a decade.

The Haaretz daily reported Wednesday that Mosab Hassan Yousef was one of the Shin Bet security service’s most valuable sources and helped prevent dozens of suicide bombings against Israelis.

Yousef’s father — Sheik Hassan Yousef — is one of Hamas’ top West Bank leaders. He is currently serving a six-year sentence in an Israeli prison.

If true, the revelation would deal another setback to Hamas, which is reeling from the assassination of a top operative in Dubai last month.

The younger Yousef converted to Christianity and moved to the U.S. in 2007. He’s publishing a book about his ordeal.

The Shin Bet had no comment.