Israel’s Shin Bet thwarted a deadly attack in Israel planned by Hamas under the direction of the terror organization’s headquarters in Turkey, it was released for publication on Monday.
The investigation makes clear the role Turkey is currently playing in hosting and supporting the Hamas terrorist organization in its war against the State of Israel.
The Hamas terrorist who was to carry out the suicide bombing was indicted Monday in the military court in Judea. He was charged with serious security offenses, including attempting to deliberately cause death (attempted first degree murder), contacting and maintaining a relationship with the enemy, and activity in an illegal organization.
Indictments were also filed about a week ago against five residents of Shechem in the Palestinian Authority, all of whom were charged with serious security offenses, including attempted first degree murder.
The individuals involved in planning the attack were arrested, and a 12 kilogram explosive device was seized.
“On March 15, 2024, Anas Shurman, a Palestinian originally from Tulkarem who lives in Jordan, was arrested in Shechem by the Shin Bet and Israeli special forces on suspicion of involvement in planning a deadly bombing attack in Israel.
According to the Shin Bet, Shurman revealed during his interrogation that in December 2023, he was recruited by Imad Abid, a Hamas operative living in Turkey who was originally from Judea and Samaria.
Shurman agreed to carry out a suicide bombing on behalf of Hamas, with “the target of the attack inside Israel.”
In preparation for the attack, Shurman filmed his last will and testament, was trained in driving a motorcycle to be used in the bombing, and received funds and instructions for where to pick up the bomb to be used, hidden in Judea and Samaria.
The bomb was hidden near a spring in the Samaria region, the Shin Bet said. Next to the package was a letter with instructions for carrying out the attack.
A number of Hamas operatives were subsequently arrested in Judea and Samaria, all of them members of the Hamas military branch in Shechem, who were involved in preparing the bomb and hiding it in the area under the direction of Hudifa Salaima, an operative of Hamas headquarters in Turkey.
“The investigation reveals the establishment of the Hamas headquarters in Turkey and its involvement in directing terrorist attacks inside Israeli territory,” the Shin Bet pointed out.
“It also presents Hamas’ attempts to escalate and destabilize the situation on the ground during the last month of Ramadan. Let’s recall that in the same week, on March 11, 2024, a terrorist resident of Jenin who was on his way to Israeli territory to carry out an attack with a ready-to-use bomb was eliminated by Shin Bet fighters,” the domestic intelligence agency said.
“The General Security Service (Shin Bet) together with the IDF will continue to act in order to thwart any attempt by terrorist elements to promote terrorist activity against the State of Israel, and will work to bring to justice those involved in such actions.”
