The Israel security agency Shin Bet, in cooperation with the IDF, recently uncovered a terrorist cell that had been recruited by senior Hamas operatives from the Gaza Strip to carry out a suicide car bombing on or about the April 9 elections, according to a Shin Bet announcement Sunday.
Yehiye Abu Dia, 23, a resident of A-Zaim, who is affiliated with the Hamas terrorist organization, was arrested on March 31. He will be indicted on charges of terrorism in the coming days.
In his Shin bet interrogation, it was learned that Abu Dia had been in contact with senior Hamas operatives in the Gaza Strip via the internet, had been recruited for military activities, and agreed to carry out missions and act as a suicide bomber.
In his contacts with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, Abu Dia was instructed to purchase a car and rent a storage facility in order to prepare the car bomb and also to monitor the best site for the attack in the area of Ma’aleh Adumim, where there was expected to be a high concentration of buses, civilians and soldiers.
Abu Dia followed his instructions, observed crowded locales and reported to the cell, which chose the optimal site and directed him to carry out the attack quickly.
As part of preparations for the attack, Abu Dia was instructed by the Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip to photograph a will on behalf of the Hamas military wing. Abu Dia planned to tape himself reading his will, with a Hamas military wing ribbon tied around his head, and purchased a tripod for this purpose.
A senior Shin Bet official noted: “The Hamas terrorist infrastructure in the Gaza Strip is constantly working to recruit Hamas operatives from Judea and Samaria to carry out murderous terror attacks in order to undermine the security and stability of the area. This activity by the Hamas military wing joins a long list of attempted attacks in recent years directed by Hamas in the Gaza Strip through militants recruited in Judea and Samaria that have been foiled by the Shin Bet and which have led to many people being imprisoned. The Shin Bet and the security forces will continue anti-terrorism operations against Hamas.”