The Shin Bet said in a statement, “As part of the joint activity of the General Security Service, the Southern Brigade of the Israeli Police, and the Israeli Army, an infrastructure consisting of Israeli Arabs (Palestinians from Area 48) and Palestinian residents of the (occupied West Bank) who conspired to carry out operations throughout Israel was uncovered.” .
In this context, the cell members also planned to assassinate Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who lives in Kiryat Arba, by launching an RPG missile that they were trying to obtain.
It was also alleged that the defendants planned to carry out attacks in Haifa, at Ben Gurion Airport, and in Kiryat in Jerusalem. In addition, they planned to kidnap an Israeli citizen in order to negotiate the release of security prisoners. To attack various bases, they also planned to strike a Rafael facility, kidnap Druze from Galilee, and hijack a bus of soldiers from the central station in Beersheba to Gaza.
The Shin Bet allowed the disclosure on Thursday of the joint efforts of the General Security Service and the Southern Police Brigade to dismantle a cell consisting of Arab citizens of Israel and Palestinian residents of the West Bank who conspired to carry out operations against public security throughout Israel.
According to the statement, a large number of suspects from Israel and the West Bank were arrested, including five residents of the city of Rahat in the Negev. They are: Bilal Nasasra, head of the cell responsible for recrui
ting activists from Israel, Wissam Al-Suwaiti, Hamza Ghaith, Saud Abu Laban, and Sameh Al-Abra. The other two residents of the center are: Youssef Abu Houli, a resident of Lydda, and Fahmi Kettani, a resident of the Wadi Ara area.
As for the four residents of the West Bank, they are: Akram Amer, a resident of the city of Tulkarm, who was responsible for recruiting activists in the West Bank, and Muhammad Subha from Tulkarm and from Jenin, Ahmed Ateeq and Ahmed Saleh.
This is not the first time that the Shin Bet has announced the thwarting of a plan to assassinate Ben Gvir, as it announced last September the dismantling of a cell “receiving its orders from Iran” that planned to assassinate the minister, who is considered the most extremist in the history of Israeli governments.
Investigation details
- As part of the investigation conducted by the Shin Bet and the Central Unit for the Negev region in the southern region, it was found that the cell members were planning operations against public security in Israel.
- It was also revealed that the cell members planned to carry out an attack against Israeli army bases and guarded facilities, including Ben Gurion Airport and the government building in Jerusalem. As well as planning to carry out an attack in Kiryat Arba.
- It was planned to rent a plot of land in Rahat (Negev) or in the West Bank for the purpose of establishing a factory, through which an underground complex used for training and production of weapons would be hidden. Infrastructure members attempted to communicate with Hamas in the Gaza Strip to obtain sponsorship, financial funding, and direction for their activities. At the same time, one of those involved in the West Bank contacted a Hamas activist in the Gaza Strip, who offered him funding to carry out operations in Israel.
- Today, the Public Prosecution of the Southern District submitted serious indictments against ten detainees to the District Court in Beersheba.
- The General Security Service reported that it was able to thwart the activities of the cell members early and before they had time to implement their plan, which was in its early stages.
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