Father of slain Hamas militant says Israel warned his son

GAZA, Palestinian Territory – The father of a slain Hamas militant says Israeli officers raided his West Bank house three times in 2014 and 2015 to press his son to stop planning deadly attacks from Gaza.

Mohammed Faqha said Sunday that agents forced him to call his son Mazen and deliver the message. He said his son rejected the verbal threats as well as pleas from his family.

Mazen was found shot dead at the entrance of his Gaza house Friday. Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza, accused Israel of killing him, but provided no proof.

Israel had sentenced him to nine terms of life imprisonment for directing suicide bombings. He was freed along with more than 1,000 other Palestinian prisoners in exchange for a single Israeli soldier in 2011.