Five terrorists from Tayibe, affiliated with ISIS, were arrested on suspicion of forming a terrorist cell whose aim included carrying out a car bomb attack on the Azrieli Mall in Tel Aviv.

This security incident started with the arrest of the leaders of the cell – Mahmoud Azam and Ibrahim Sheikh Yosef, residents of Tayibe, who are affiliated with ISIS.

As the integrated police and Shin Bet investigation developed, it emerged that the two had planned to go to an ISIS combat zone abroad and also maintained contacts with foreign ISIS agents. It was also revealed that they recruited three more Tayibe residents – Sajd Mazarwa, Abdullah Bransi and Abdel Karim Bransi - into the cell, in order to promote terrorist activity in Israel.

After collecting evidence, the police arrested the five suspects and various weapons were caught in their possession.

In their investigation, the suspects disclosed that they watched online videos of terrorist attacks in Syria and discussed the amount of explosives that would require to bring down the Azrieli Towers. The police say that "the cell was exposed and thwarted in the first stages of its implementation."

The Shin Bet and police stress that "this is an unusual and dangerous group of Israeli citizens, who joined together to promote serious security activity against the State of Israel and its citizens in the name of the ISIS ideology. The plan of the cell was foiled by the Shin Bet and Israel Police following precise and effective intelligence activity."

Central Police Chief Yair Hetzroni stated that "this is a serious security issue and thanks to the integrated and professional investigation by the police and Shin Bet, we succeeded in preventing a major disaster and saved many lives. We regard with extreme severity any intention of parties with an extreme ideology to promote security activity and, therefore, will continue to act with utmost resolution, accordingly to the authority given to us by law, and to take full force with the means at our disposal, to thwart ahead of time intentions to harm the security of the state and its citizens."

In accordance with the evidence obtained during the investigation, a prosecutor's statement was submitted to the High Court against the suspects and in the coming days a serious indictment will be filed against them on suspicion of security offenses.