GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Claims by the son of a Hamas founder Wednesday that he was a long-term spy for Israel exposed a new side of the Islamic militant group’s vulnerability and punched a hole in its meticulously groomed image of secrecy and discipline.
At the center of the affair is Mosab Yousef, 32, a son of Sheik Hassan Yousef, a Hamas founder serving a six-year term in an Israeli prison.
Hamas, which overran the Gaza Strip in 2007, dismissed the younger Yousef’s claims as a lie and said they were part of an Israeli attempt to weaken the movement. However, the man’s father did not rule out that his son was an informer, contending he was blackmailed by Israeli agents as a teen.
Analysts said the disclosures hurt Hamas’ image and were sure to trigger new security concerns in the movement.
The Israeli Haaretz daily reported Wednesday that Mosab Yousef provided intelligence to Israel’s Shin Bet security service for more than a decade, preventing dozens of Hamas attacks against Israelis, including suicide bombings, saving hundreds of lives. The paper said he also helped put several senior Palestinian operatives behind bars.
The younger Yousef, who moved to California in 2007, declined an interview request by The Associated Press.
His memoir, “Son of Hamas,” is being published in the United States next week.
