Israeli security forces arrested 13 Arab-Israelis planning to carry out terror attacks on behalf of Hamas, it was cleared for publication on Sunday.
The Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) said that most of the suspects are residents of Sakhnin, an Arab village in the Lower Galilee.
According to the Shin Bet, Muhammad Khaled and Muhammad Yosef, recruited other members from Sakhnin, who purchased weapons stolen from the Israel Defense Forces.
Other suspects in custody were identified as Akram Halaila, Muhammad Musa Abu Saleh, Ali Halaila, Muhammad Shohana Muhammad Ayush. Another suspect in custody, Zohav Jalbush, is a resident of the Palestinian Authority.
During the arrests, police seized weapons, ammunition and vests intended to be used in the attacks.
It also emerged that one of the suspects, Halaila, was in contact with Hamas figures in Gaza who provided him with instructions on how to prepare explosives.
Investigators also discovered that several of the detainees had thrown firebombs at Kibbutz Eshbal, which is located near Sakhnin, during Israel’s two-week conflict with Hamas in May 2021.
The announcement comes on the eve the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which is expected to begin on Sunday night at sundown. In the last several years, Arab terror attacks have surged ahead of and during Ramadan.
Since October 7, Israeli security forces have arrested around 3,400 wanted Arab terror suspects in Judea and Samaria, of whom over 1,500 are affiliated with Hamas.
