After an extended ISA intelligence surveillance of a cell of residents of the Beit Safafa neighborhood in Jerusalem and its activities directed by Iran, about one month ago, Shin Bet and Yamam fighters arrested three members of a cell that planned to assassinate certain figures in Israel.

Members of the cell were arrested after discovering that the cell was close to carrying out the assassination.

Earlier today seven Arabs aged 19 to 23, residents of Beit Hanina in Jerusalem, were arrested last month on suspicion of planning to eliminate a nuclear scientist and a mayor in central Israel.

The investigation revealed that an Iranian operative contacted Rami Alian, the main suspect, and offered payments for carrying out missions.

Alian recruited six partners from near his home to carry out the missions, which included setting cars on fire in Ein Kerem, spraying graffiti, and throwing a grenade at the house of a security forces member. Ultimately, the target was a soldier known to the group of suspects, living in a nearby neighborhood.

The cell members received instructions to purchase weapons and grenades. The main mission the Iranian assigned them included gathering intelligence on one of the mayors in central Israel, as well as assassinating a senior nuclear expert. The young men prepared the necessary intelligence and contacted others to purchase weapons, but were arrested before they managed to complete their plans.

The investigation revealed that the youngsters received payments for specific tasks including: NIS 500 for photographing various locations, including the Weizmann Institute, 1,500 shekels for photographing a certain destination, NIS 2,000 for burning a car, $100 for spraying anti-Israel graffiti and "return the hostages now." NIS 13,000 and 15,000 were allocated for the purchase of a gun and probably also a Carlo submachine gun.