Three Arab residents of Hebron formed a terrorist cell with the aim of assassinating National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and his son, according to the police and Shin Bet. Investigators were able to form an evidentiary foundation against the three and an indictment was filed against them in a military court.
The indictment revealed that the main defendant, Ismail Ibrahim Awadi, gathered intelligence by monitoring the travel routes of Minister Ben Gvir and his son, learning the type of vehicles they were traveling in and the number of security guards around them. One of the options considered was to assassinate him upon arrival at the scenes of terrorist attacks, as he does on such occasions.
The indictment that was filed this week with the military court revealed that in June, Awadi contacted several different parties to establish a military cell, obtain weapons, and produce explosive devices to harm security forces personnel.
During his attempts to collect funding and set up training for the cell he established, Awadi turned to the terrorist organizations Hamas and Hezbollah for assistance in carrying out attacks against Israeli civilians and senior political figures.
Minister Ben Gvir issued a statement saying:
“I thank the Israel Police’s Judea and Samaria District and the Shin Bet for arresting and bringing to justice the terrorist cell that planned to assassinate me and my children.
“Thanks to their hard work and the grace of God, the enemy has once again been prevented from harming me and my family.
“I will continue to work to tighten the prison conditions of terrorists; for sovereignty and governance in the State of Israel; for the distribution of weapons, for the demolition of illegal homes; and for a complete victory over the enemies – no terrorist will deter me.”
The team of investigators who captured the terrorists received a certificate of appreciation from the commander of the Judea and Samaria District, Superintendent Moshe Pinchi, who said, “This is an extremely serious incident that’s an example of the enormous efforts of the enemies of the state to carry out terrorist activities in Israel, to harm a senior minister and his son, security forces, and other individuals. The arrest and interrogation of the terrorist cell and bringing them to justice constitute a significant achievement in the fight against terrorism and against any attempt to harm elected officials and the security of citizens.”
