A Palestinian celebrates on top of the burned car of two Israeli soldiers who were lynched in Ramallah Oct. 12, 2000. Seventeen years later, one of the terrorists involved in the lynching has been released early from prison. Photo: Flash 90.

JNS.org – One of the Palestinian terrorists sentenced to life in prison for participating in the grisly lynching of two Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reservists in Ramallah during the Second Intifada in 2000, was quietly released Wednesday and transferred to Gaza.

Haitham Faiz Muari had been imprisoned since 2004, but reached a plea deal this week following a retrial in military court, which saw his original murder conviction and charges downgraded, due to new evidence, and his prison sentence reduced to 11 and a half years. Muari was freed, with his 15 years in jail considered time served.

Simo Avrahami, the father of victim Yosef Avrahami, told Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, “I do not see any reason for the IDF court to deal with an appeal of such a despicable murderer. What do we want to show? That we’re just, that we’re honest?”

Yosef Avrahami’s son, Roi, said he was only informed of Muari’s release when Israeli media contacted him to comment on the case.

“We learned about the matter after the terrorist was likely already at his victory party in Gaza,” he said.