Hamas Leader Disowns Son After Announcement Of Spying For Israel

MSNBC reports that a "senior Hamas leader publicly disowned his son Monday, days after the young man announced he had secretly spied for Israel and helped authorities hunt down members of the Islamic militant group. Hamas Web sites published a letter late Monday by Sheik Hassan Yousef that the militant group said was smuggled out of the Israeli prison where he is serving a six-year sentence. In the letter, he said his family announced its 'complete renunciation' of Mosab Yousef. The father said he was sorry to take such a step but said he had no choice after his son 'disbelieved in God...and collaborated with our enemies,' he said. The elder Yousef, who helped found the militant Islamic group two decades ago, was humiliated last year when his eldest son announced he had converted to Christianity. Then the son told an Israeli newspaper last week that he had helped Israeli intelligence foil militant attacks and hunt down Hamas leaders — including his father. Mosab Yousef told the Haaretz daily said he spied for Israel for a decade before fleeing to California in 2007. Mosab Yousef is publishing a memoir, 'Son of Hamas.' Monday's announcement means the family now considers their son to have never existed. He loses his inheritance and the family will never speak to him, or about him, again." Tweet