Arafat Quietly Frees Hamas Leader, Drawing Both Praise and Anger

Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat freed Hamas spiritual leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin from house arrest Wednesday, a move branded by Israel as bowing to the demands of the radical Islamic group.

The ailing sheik’s release adds a volatile new element to angry debate that has flared in recent weeks over the 2-month-old Wye River peace accord.

Israel has already suspended its compliance with the U.S.-brokered land-for-security pact, and Arafat’s decision to end Yassin’s unpopular detention could signal growing unwillingness on his part to run political risks for the sake of the faltering agreement.

In the slums of Gaza City, the charismatic Islamic cleric’s release set off a round of rejoicing. Neighbors gathered outside the simple concrete home where Yassin had been confined since Oct. 29, showering him with kisses and offering respectful greetings.

Israeli government spokesman Moshe Fogel said releasing the sheik--who had been placed under house arrest after Hamas tried to blow up a school bus full of Jewish settler children in the Gaza Strip--amounted to a show of bad faith.

Palestinian officials, furious over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s failure to carry out a promised troop withdrawal in the West Bank, say that Israel is in no position to lecture them about the accord’s provisions while it refuses to comply with them.

Well aware of how sensitive Yassin’s release was, Arafat’s government made no statement about it.