The Shin Bet said it arrested 60 suspects in a massive counter-terrorism operation against a Hamas terror network in the area of Hebron. In the course of interrogations, the security agency solved a 15-year-old investigation into a deadly terror attack, where four Israelis were murdered.
The terror network was planning attacks in the immediate future, the security agency said. In the course of the operation, 22 weapons, including grenades and IEDs, were confiscated and an underground facility to store arms and house terrorists was uncovered.
Shin Bet uncovers Hamas terror network in Hebron
(Shin Bet)
According to the Shin Bet, senior Hamas operatives, most of whom had served time in Israeli prisons, attempted to enlist, arm and train new recruits to carry out attacks against Israeli targets.
The terror network conducted firearms training, gathered intelligence on potential targets for attack, and prepared explosive material and devices to be used in Hamas-instigated attacks in the West Bank and inside Israel.
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In their interrogation, the suspect provided valuable intelligence that led to more arrests. Some 10 terror squads planning attacks were identified and eliminated," the Shin Bet said.
One of the suspects apprehended by the security forces was linked to the 2010 attack near Hebron, where Talya, 45, and Yitzhak Imes, Avishai Shindler, 24, and Kochava Even-Haim, 37 were murdered
Others involved in another deadly attack in 2023 also are in custody.
"This was one of the most extensive counter-terrorism investigations conducted in the West Bank in the past decade," a Shin Bet official said. "Uncovering the terror infrastructure that had operated covertly, thwarted Hamas' intent to carry out attacks."