It was cleared for publication this morning (Sunday) that as part of a joint operation of the Shin Bet (ISA) and the Northern District of the Israel Police, a cell of 13 Arab Israelis that plotted to carry out multiple terrorist attacks was exposed.
Over the last few months, the suspects were arrested, including the leader of the cell, his second-in-command, and 11 others. Most of them are residents of Sakhnin and include fathers and sons. In addition, a resident of Judea and Samaria was arrested on suspicion of weapons trafficking.
Four weapons were found as part of the investigation, as well as ammunition and vests intended to be used by the squad to carry out attacks.
The ringleaders recruited other members from Sakhnin in order to promote the execution of terrorist attacks throughout Israel, and for that purpose, they purchased weapons and other tools to carry out attacks from the territories of the Palestinian Authority.
One of the suspects, Muhammad Khaled Halaila, was in contact with the Hamas infrastructure from the Gaza Strip, which provided him with instructions for preparing explosives and directed him to recruit more members to the squad.
It was also found that in addition to their activities as part of the terrorist organization, some of the detainees participated in throwing Molotov Cocktails at Kibbutz Eshbal during the terrorist events of Operation "Guardian of the Walls" in May 2021.
Today (Sunday), with the conclusion of the investigation by the Shin Bet and the police, the Haifa district attorney's office will file charges against the 13 suspects and a request that their incarceration be extended until the end of the proceedings against them.
The Shin Bet stated that "this constitutes serious activity against the security of Israeli citizens by a squad who hatched a terrorist plan with the involvement of the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip, in a way that also has the potential to harm the normative majority in Arab society. The Shin Bet and the Israel Police will constantly continue their activities to thwart terrorism and to locate hazardous elements that take part in activities that endanger the security of the state, including those who took part in terrorist activities during the Guardians of the Walls riots."