PA arrests Palestinian suspect decades after deadly Paris restaurant attack

France says apprehension of Hicham Harb, 42 years aft attack, made imaginable by upcoming designation of Palestinian state.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has arrested a cardinal fishy successful a deadly 1982 onslaught connected a Jewish edifice successful Paris successful a determination that comes amid France’s preparations to recognise a Palestinian state.

The panic onslaught connected the Jo Goldenberg edifice successful the Jewish 4th of Le Marais connected August 9, 1982, killed six and near 22 others injured.

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France’s National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office said successful a connection connected Friday that Interpol had informed it of the apprehension of Hicham Harb by Palestinian authorities nether a 2015 planetary warrant.

President Emmanuel Macron said that the fishy had been arrested successful the occupied West Bank and that his state was present moving with the PA to guarantee his “swift extradition” to France.

Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot posted connected X that the apprehension had been made imaginable by Macron’s determination to recognise an autarkic Palestinian state, “enabling america to petition extradition”.

Macron is expected to marque the landmark announcement astatine the United Nations General Assembly successful New York adjacent week, with astir 10 different countries, including Australia, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Canada.

Wanted man

Harb, whose existent sanction is Mahmoud Khader Abed Adra, was 1 of France’s most-wanted men and had been the taxable of an planetary apprehension warrant for the past 10 years.

The 70-year-old is suspected of starring 5 different attackers successful the weapon battle connected the restaurant, which was considered the deadliest anti-Semitic onslaught successful France since the 2nd satellite war.

The assault, blamed connected the Palestinian Abu Nidal Organisation, began astir midday erstwhile a grenade was tossed into the eating country by attackers who past entered the edifice and opened occurrence with Polish-made machineguns.

Harb is suspected of having supervised the battle and besides of being 1 of the gunmen who opened occurrence connected diners and passersby.

He was formally indicted by French judges successful July connected charges of execution and attempted execution successful transportation with the attack. Harb and 5 different men successful the lawsuit were referred to trial.

Another suspect, Abou Zayed, a 66-year-old Norwegian of Palestinian origin, has been successful French custody since his 2020 extradition from Norway. He has denied the charges.

Bruno Gendrin and Romain Ruiz, lawyers for Zayed, spot the apprehension of his alleged accomplice arsenic impervious that “the probe was not complete”.

“As usual, the anti-terrorism courts wanted to unreserved things, and we are present seeing the consequences,” they told the quality bureau AFP successful a statement.

The Abu Nidal Organisation is categorised arsenic a panic radical by the US and Europe.