| Israel foils major Hamas terror attack at Jerusalem stadium |
Shin Bet security agency announces recent arrest of over 30 Hamas operatives, members of large-scale terror ring aiming to carry out multiple attacks across Israel and abroad • Members recruited as early as 2012, extensively trained for specific missions.
Lilach Shoval and Israel Hayom Staff
Jerusalem's Teddy Stadium | Photo credit: Meir Partush |
The Shin Bet security agency uncovered a massive Hamas terrorist ring in the West Bank two months ago, which planned to carry out major terror attacks at Jerusalem's largest soccer stadium and on the Jerusalem light rail as well as car bombings and abductions, the agency revealed on Thursday.
The terror ring was overseen by the new Hamas headquarters in Turkey, and its members included Hamas operatives trained abroad and inserted into the area for the sole purpose of these attacks.
During the course of the investigation, Israeli authorities arrested more than 30 operatives and recovered two M-16 assault rifles, ammunition and bomb-making materials.
Some of the operatives involved in this ring attempted a bombing in Samaria in August, planting two remotely controlled bombs and planning to detonate them at such an interval that would also target any emergency personnel that would arrive to help the victims of the first blast. Fortunately, the incident ended without injury.
The interrogation that followed the August bombing attempt yielded troves of information about the Hamas terror ring. Among other information, Israeli authorities learned that some of the operatives were recruited in Jordan as early as 2012. They underwent military training and were tasked with clear missions. At the beginning of 2014 they began entering the region to lay the groundwork for the planned attacks. They met with other operatives, prepared the infrastructure and gathered intelligence on Israeli targets.
The investigation revealed that the terror ring had planned to carry out shooting and bombing attacks in Judea and Samaria along major traffic arteries, inside Jewish communities and at military posts, as well as infiltration attacks in Israeli towns. They also planned to abduct Israelis in Judea and Samaria and abroad, car bombings, infiltrations of major Israeli cities and major attacks against two targets in Jerusalem -- Teddy Stadium and the Jerusalem light rail.
The members of the Hamas terror ring were generally recruited in Jordan by people they knew personally. Skilled individuals with political views similar to those of the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas were sought out, recruited and then extensively trained. The training, which took place in several locations in Jordan, Turkey, Syrian and Gaza, was tailored specifically to the mission each recruit was slated to perform. The training was overseen by Hamas command centers in Gaza and abroad.
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