The State Attorney’s Office filed an indictment Thursday against Mustafa Issa, a 20-year-old resident of Kafr Qasim, accusing him of planning a nationalist-motivated terror attack against a strategic site in Israel.
Issa was charged at the Central District Court in Lod with offenses including preparing to commit a terror act involving malicious damage with explosives, weapons activity for terrorist purposes and training or instruction for terrorist purposes.
Equipment confiscated from Issa's home
(Photo: Israel Police)
According to the indictment, filed by prosecutor Assaf Harlopsky of the Central District Attorney’s Office, Issa decided against the backdrop of the war to carry out an attack against a strategic Israeli target.
Prosecutors allege that for about a year and a half he explored ways to carry out the attack, including planting an explosive device or dropping one from a drone.
During that period, according to the indictment, Issa volunteered with Israel’s Fire and Rescue Services and exploited the position to travel through different areas and collect information about potential targets.
Prosecutors say he eventually decided to focus on an Amdocs server farm in Ra’anana, believing that damaging the facility would cause serious economic and national harm to Israel.
As part of the alleged preparations, Issa downloaded guides, files and videos dealing with the manufacture of weapons and explosive devices as well as methods used by lone attackers, which prosecutors say he used as training material.
The indictment further alleges that Issa attempted to assemble an explosive device by mixing flammable substances with the contents of fireworks and firecrackers he had purchased. In another experiment, he prepared a mixture containing sulfur, charcoal and other materials, but destroyed it after the attempt failed.
Prosecutors say he also bought a drone and equipment that could be used to attach an explosive device to it, while watching instructional material on mounting explosives to drones.
The State Attorney’s Office asked the court to keep Issa in custody until the end of legal proceedings.
In its detention request, prosecutors argued that he posed a high risk because he had allegedly begun taking practical steps to carry out his plans. They also cited what they described as his nationalist motive, linked to the war and IDF operations, as well as his claim that he had been taught at school to hate the State of Israel.