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- Shin Bet thwarts Hamas cell in W. Bank plotting 'severe' attacks in Israel
Shin Bet thwarts Hamas cell in W. Bank plotting 'severe' attacks in Israel
Israel’s Shin Bet security agency says it foiled a Hamas plot to carry out “severe” terror attacks throughout Israel.
A Hamas terror cell in the West Bank, recruited and trained by members of Hamas’ military wing in the Gaza Strip, intended to prepare explosive devices and target crowded, urban areas in the Jewish State.
In terms of threat-level to Israel’s civilian population, the foiled plot is unlike previous Hamas efforts in recent years, according to the Shin Bet statement.
In April, the Shin Bet discovered an extensive Hamas terror network in the West Bank comprised of some 20 Hamas-affiliated operatives based in Nablus. The network planned to carry out attacks in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
The Shin Bet statement said the terror network operating since October 2017 was “exceptional in scope and activity”, detailing that they found in the course of their investigation a high-grade 10-kilogram explosive device, another 15 kilograms of explosives, in addition to paraphernalia pertaining to their manufacture.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Israel's security forces and used the incident to justify its continued military control of the West Bank since the 1967 War.
“Hamas is trying to attack us from both Gaza, and Judea and Samaria. This is why we will continue to maintain security control of all areas west of the Jordan River.”
Most of the individuals, including those charged with leading the group, were Hamas affiliated and some were said to have a rich history of terrorist activity, including in the manufacture of explosives and detonation devices.
Israeli soldiers regularly carry out nightly raids across the West Bank, routinely detaining suspects wanted for low-level terror attacks, illegal weapons possession, and other security related offenses.
In total, during 2017, the Shin Bet says it uncovered and foiled 400 terror attacks that were being hatched in the West Bank including 13 planned suicide bombings and 18 abductions.
Following the US Embassy’s move to Jerusalem in May, the Shin Bet warned in a statement that the threat of terror attacks stemming from the West Bank would be heightened in the months to come.