Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat at a news conference in the city
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat at a news conference in the cityYonatan Sindel/Flash 90

Three Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem were indicted for scheming to assassinate a senior Israeli public figure with the support of Hamas, the Jerusalem District Prosecutor's Office stated on Sunday, according to a Ynet report.

The indictment stated that two of the men met in prison in 2017 and decided to carry out a terrorist attack in Israel together on behalf of Hamas, specifically a shooting attack on a Tel Aviv beach.

Following their release from prison in February 2019, the two men contacted a Hamas operative in Istanbul, who suggested that they murder an Israeli senior official: former Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat, former police commissioner Roni Alshich or former MK Yehuda Glick.

The two defendants are accused of conspiring with a Hamas operative in Istanbul to carry out a murderous terrorist attack, carrying out operations with the funds of a terrorist organization with the aim of promoting a serious terrorist offense, and maintaining contact with a foreign agent. A third defendant is accusing of contact with a Hamas operative in Turkey and carrying out an operation with the funds of a terrorist organization.

The Jerusalem District Prosecutor's Office is requesting that the defendants be detained until the end of the legal proceedings against them.