Amid a spectacular Middle East diplomatic crisis surrounding a recent botched Mossad assassination attempt in Amman, Israel yesterday pardoned the spiritual leader of the militant Hamas movement, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, freed him from a prison hospital, and flew him to Jordan.
The release of the paraplegic sheikh was ostensibly approved as a humanitarian gesture, in response to a call by King Hussein for steps to revive the Middle East peace process. But insider sources suggest it was part of a desperate attempt by Israel to make amends for a failed Mossad attempt to kill another Hamas leader in Amman last week.
The freeing of the man who founded Hamas, and who had been jailed by Israel since 1989, followed a public appeal by King Hussein on Tuesday. But the sheikh's overnight helicopter trip to Amman is actually directly related to an assassination attempt by Mossad hitmen on the head of the Hamas political bureau in Amman last Thursday.
The official, Mr Khaled Mashaal, was hospitalised with respiratory problems after his assailants attacked him with a device that apparently contained lethal chemical poisons.
The two attackers were captured and found to be holding Canadian passports, but King Hussein has indicated that they are Mossad operatives. The king reportedly threatened to sever diplomatic relations with Israel over the incident.
Israel Radio reported yesterday that the Sheikh Yassin deal could see the captured assailants freed from Amman. Jordan's Information Ministry, however, indicated they would be put on trial there. The Palestinian leader, Mr Yasser Arafat, who was not involved in the release, is said to be furious that King Hussein is now getting the credit for having the sheikh freed. Mr Arafat yesterday insisted on describing the release as "a deportation".
He said he hoped Israel would now free other Palestinian detainees from its jails.