Israel Matzav

Busted!

A joint operation between the IDF and the General Security Service has resulted in the arrest of dozens of 'Palestinians' who are accused of being part of 13 different terror cells that were operating in Judea, Samaria and 'east' Jerusalem over the last few months.

The cells were planning a number of attacks against Israel including the abduction of an IDF soldier and a suicide bombing in Jerusalem which was thwarted two weeks ago with the arrest of the suicide bomber and the seizure of the bomb he had planned to use in the attack.

The target was supposed to be an IDF base, mall, or bus in the Pisgat Ze'ev neighborhood in northern Jerusalem. The cell that was plotting the suicide attack was behind the bombing on March 23 outside the Jerusalem Central Bus Station which killed a British tourist and injured 47 others.

The Shin Bet investigation revealed that Hamas command centers in Syria and Saudi Arabia were behind the financing of the attacks. In addition, Hamas terrorists serving sentences in Israeli prisons were also instrumental in recruiting members of the cell from among Palestinian prisoners ahead of their release, as well as providing them with theoretical military training while still in jail/

The Shin Bet noted that Hamas also operated in Turkey, where it recruited operatives, but that the Hamas branch in Turkey was not involved in operations with these cells.

The cell plotting the attack in Jerusalem was based in Hebron and had manufactured two explosive devices using fire extinguishers loaded with six kilograms of explosives and wrapped in a sheet of metal balls to increase collateral damage upon explosion.

The suicide attack was scheduled to be carried out on August 21 and the cell was also in the advanced stages of plotting the abduction of an Israeli soldier from the Gush Etzion settlement bloc south of the capital. On August 21, the Israel Police closed off all entrances to Jerusalem in search of the bomber and the explosive device, causing major traffic jams.

The Shin Bet and police captured two explosive devices: One in the home of Azhak Arfa, a 23-year-old resident of Ras al-Amud in East Jerusalem, and the holder of an Israeli blue identity card.

Arfa worked until his arrest in a Jerusalem wedding hall near the Central Bus Station and was recruited into the cell by Hassin Kussama, a 36-year-old resident of Hebron and known Hamas operative and explosives expert, who served as the "engineer" for the cell. A second device was discovered in Kussama's home in Hebron.

“We see from these cases that Hamas is trying to boost its military capabilities in the West Bank,” a senior Shin Bet official said on Wednesday.

According to the Shin Bet, the cell was funded by Hamas's political bureau in Damascus run by Khaled Mashaal, which also has branches in other parts of the world, including China, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

Read the whole thing.

Here's a video report. Let's go to the videotape.



YNet has more:

Security forces raids conducted as part of the operation resulted in dozens of arrests, mostly of terror operatives who were incarcerated in Israel at one time or another for terror-related offenses.

Israeli intelligence officers uncovered a Hamas cell based in Ktziot Prison, whose leaders tried to recruit prisoners who were about to be released to carry out attacks on Israeli targets in the West Bank.

The recruits were told to focus on abducting IDF soldiers, who would be used as bargaining chips in a future prisoner exchange deal.

Intelligence sources told Ynet that the West Bank infrastructure was partially funded by Gaza-based Hamas elements.

In June, Shin Bet and IDF officers were able to expose a Hamas terror cell preparing to abduct IDF soldiers. The West Bank-based cell received its instruction from Gaza, and was scheduled to receive smuggled arms, to be used in the abduction.

One of the operatives arrested in connection to the foiled abduction, 42-year-old Shaher Skaphi from Hebron, detailed in his interrogation exactly how his cell was instructed to kidnap and guard an Israeli solider, and when the time came – how to negotiate for his release in exchange for Hamas prisoners held in Israel.

A senior Shin Bet official told Ynet that the extensive infrastructure discovered was indicative of Hamas' increasing motivation to terrorize Israel.

Hamas activities, he added, are being carried out regretless of the Palestinian Authority's nearing UN bid for recognition. Israeli security forces are operating tirelessly to thwart terror threats, he continued.

As for the PA, Israeli security sources said they believe Ramallah has no interest in seeing violence in the West Bank or the Gaza Strip escalate, adding that the Palestinian security forces and their Israeli counterparts were working together to prevent riots and are ready for a wide range of scenarios.

Hmmm.

Here's what I'm curious about. Remember the al-Jazeera Afghanistan bureau chief who was arrested as he was about to cross back into Gaza? I wonder if he was part of this. The YNet article mentions a 39-year old who was arrested as he was about to cross the Allenby bridge into Jordan, but the name is different than the one at that last link.

Bigger Hmmm.

Labels: al-Jazeera, Hamas, Palestinian suicide bombers, Palestinian terrorism

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:41 AM