Indictment: Tira resident planned terror attack in Raanana

Members of the cell included Balan resident Mahmad Yaakov, known as al-Hamour, Tulkarm resident Ahmad Muhammad, known as al-Har, Nablus resident Muhammad Bubli, Wurood's cousin, and another woman named Khaulah from al-Ram. Most of the cell members are not residents of the Palestinian Authority and do not have permission to enter Israel.

Spaghettim restaurant in Raanana where attack was to take place (Photo: Ido Erez)

According to the facts presented in the indictment, during May 2006, the accused arrived together with al-Har to al-Hamour's workplace where she received Palestinian propaganda material from him. She even shot into the air with a gun he showed her. The same day, al-Hamour uploaded her details on a Fatah membership card and gave it to her.

Two months later in July after al-Hamour joined the cell, Wurood went to al-Har's home with al-Hamour. In this meeting he asked her if she is prepared "to act to help the homeland" and to take part in terrorist activity by helping transfer weapons from Israel to the West Bank and to help get bombs into Israel.

She agreed to help 

The accused, according to the indictment, agreed. A few days later, al-Hamour was told to accept a bomb weighing seven kilograms (15.4 pounds) that could be activated by two telephones in order to transfer the bomb into Israel and to detonate it in a crowded place. Following this, al-Hamour set a meeting with Wurood and al-Har in order to take something to Ramallah.

Wurood drove to the meeting in her car, which has an Israeli license plate. In Hawara, she picked up al-Hamour, who sat next to her with the bomb in his lap as she drove. Wurood asked al-Hamour to show her the bomb and he complied. She then drove to Ramallah. During the car ride, he explained to her how to activate the bomb and asked her if she is prepared to bring the bomb into Israel.

Wurood refused, telling al-Hamour that she is afraid of the being caught during the routine checks of cars entering Israel.

Later, Wurood told al-Hamour that her cousin Bubli works in Israel at the restaurant Spaghettim in Raanana. Al-Hamour asked Wurood to contact Bubli to ask him if he is ready to smuggle the bomb into Israel. She contacted her cousin, told him about her contacts with al-Hamour and the terrorist organization. Her cousin agreed to help.

Pictures in an olive grove

Wurood took part in planning a terror attack in which the bomb would be brought into Israel by al-Har and transferred to Bubli. According to the plan, Wurood would then help Bubli plant the bomb.

A few days later, al-Har tried to enter Israel by way of Anatoun, but didn't succeed. Al-Hamour and al-Har called Wurood to ask her if she could get al-Har into Israel, but she said she didn't know the way.

Next, Wurood and Bubli gave al-Hamour the telephone number of a driver who transports workers into Israel. Al-Hamour called him, but the driver told him that the roads were blocked because of the security situation. So, al-Har went back to Ramallah to return the bomb to al-Hamour, who hid it.

On September 17, 2006, the accused arrived with two of her friends to a restaurant in Ramallah in order to meet al-Hamour. At a certain point, she left the restaurant, walked to an olive grove, and got her picture taken while she was holding a rifle and a Quran, and wearing a headband emblazoned with a nationalistic saying. She received the pictures, which she hid in her car, along with a disc of Palestinian nationalist songs and video clips.

In response to the indictment issued by Prosecutor Or Mamon, Attorney Ihab Jaljuli said in response, "Only now has the indictment been issued and the evidence been presented for the first time, so we can't give a response to the indictment. However, she claims that she was duped. After the evidence is examined, we will give an accurate response. It is important to note that this is a young girl with no criminal past, who has a normal lifestyle."

Not befitting of a Tira resident

Tira Mayor Khalil Kassem said after this was published: "We strongly condemn the actions of the young woman. I don't know the woman who was arrested. It could be that she is someone who came from the outside and took our last name as her own (in Tira there are about 4,000 residents from the Kassem family). There are a lot of people who come to live in the city and adopt a name of one of the large families.

"In any case, we condemn the action, which isn't befitting of a resident of Tira. This is a quiet and good city. There are a lot of Jews who are hosted here and who come here to shop."

Yuval Arad, spokesman of the Spaghettim restaurant chain, reported that security at the restaurant's branches is in accordance with the instructions of the security services.

According to him, "The Spaghettim restaurant chain is strict about employing only Israeli workers in all of its restaurants in Israel, be it through direct employment or through an external contractor. As well, the chain stations an armed guard at the entrance of the restaurants during all hours of operation."

Arad said that the chain was shocked Sunday morning "and that we don't have any information about the employee, who was apparently arrested."

Efrat Weiss contributed to this report