An Iranian-led terrorist cell targeting National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and planning to carry out terrorist attacks in Israel was arrested by the Shin Bet, the security agency announced on Wednesday.
The five-man cell, consisting of three Palestinians and two Israeli citizens, were tasked with gathering intelligence in order to harm security personnel, senior public officials and political figures including Ben-Gvir and former Knesset member Yehuda Glick. An indictment filed by Haifa District Attorney's Office on Wednesday said that the cell's Iranian handler explicitly sought the assasination of Glick, giving the cell a photograph of the ex-MK.
Ben-Gvir said that he would not be deterred by the news, and would continue to implement policies on the conditions of imprisoned terrorists, counterterrorism, and prayer rights on the Temple Mount.
"I commend the Shin Bet personnel and the security forces who exposed and captured the terrorist cell that intended to assassinate an Israeli minister," Ben-Gvir wrote on social media.
I thank the members of the General Security Service and the members of the security forces who led to the exposure and capture of the terrorist cell that intended to assassinate a minister in Israel. I will continue to act fearlessly and even more strongly for a fundamental change in the conditions of the terrorists' imprisonment in prison, for the continuation of the war on terror, for the rights of prayer and Jewish sovereignty on the Temple Mount, for...
— Itamar Ben Gabvir (@itamarbengvir) September 27, 2023
Yehuda Glick thanked God and said that he would continue to work to create cooperation between Jews and non-Jews.
"To the security forces who are constantly in contact with me, thank you for your intensive activity for the security of Israel," said Glick.
Iran tells Israelis to set cars on fire
Kafr Dan resident Murad Kamamja met an Iranian citizen known as Hassan Zakharna in Jordan in 2022, who informed him multiple times that he was an Iranian intelligence asset according to the indictment. Zakharna asked Kamamja to smuggle weaponry from Jordan into Judea and Samara, and to create chaos by setting fire to vehicles and gas stations, breaking windows of businesses.
Kamamja recruited Jenin resident Hassan Mujarima, who was a prior acquaintance, who suggested they have Jenin resident Ziad Shanti join the cell. Shanti recruited two Israeli citizens, Yusuf Hamad and Hamad Hamadi, who were respectively from Mukiblah and Nazareth.
Hamadi was contracted and paid by Shanti to smuggle five infiltrators from Jordan into Israel in March. Hamadi met with Shanti for consultation for further smuggling, but turned down requests to photograph a senior police officer in Holon, transport drugs and ammunition.
Shanti contracted Hamadi in June to set fire to cars belonging to Jews and film the results. Hamadi, who was offered NIS 5000 per vehicle destroyed, sub-contracted Hamad to help him with the task for NIS 1000 per vehicle. Together, the two set four cars on fire in Haifa. The Shin Bet suspected that this was a test mission for further sabotage missions and to see if the Israeli operatives were willing to act on their behalf.
The Shin Bet said it views the involvement of Israeli citizens in terrorist plots "very seriously," and that further indictments over the next few days for the suspects detained by Israeli security forces.
The investigation illustrated Iran's efforted to undermine security, social, and political stability in Israel, said the Shin Bet, utilizing a modus operandi of using citizens with criminal backgrounds and enticing them with monetary reward.
This is not the first time criminal elements have been hired to facilitate Iranian espionage and terrorist action. In August four Arab Israelis were indicted for smuggling and distributing Hezbollah drugs and Iranian explosives. One of the suspects had intended to use one of the explosive devices for a criminal plot.
This is a developing story.