Basel Salahiya Reported to Have Been Held Secretly in Israel for Two Years

Overview

• An i24NEWS report republished by Matzav says journalist Avishai Grinzaig revealed that Israeli authorities have quietly held senior Hamas commander Basel Salahiya in Israel for two years and expect to put him on trial for several attacks.
• The account says Salahiya was captured after the Gaza prison holding him was hit by an Israeli Air Force strike, Hamas moved him to house arrest in Khan Younis, and IDF ground forces later raided the site and transferred him to Israel.
• Reporters link Salahiya to a 2011 Kornet anti-tank missile strike that killed 16-year-old Daniel Viflik and say he had earlier fallen out with Hamas figures including Marwan Issa, Yahya Sinwar, and Mohammed Deif, which led to his imprisonment by Hamas.
• The claim rests on a single journalist’s report and has not been independently confirmed, raising questions about evidence chains, legal status of wartime detentions, and how any prosecution would proceed.
• The report arrives as the IDF continues operations targeting senior Nukhba commanders and could shape accountability efforts for past attacks and the experiences of victims’ families depending on whether formal charges and court filings follow.