Released Gaza terrorist caught at entrance to mall in central Israel

Gaza terrorist sentenced to prison and later released as part of the Shalit deal infiltrated into Israel and nearly entered an Israeli mall, before being arrested.

By World Israel News Staff

A Gaza terrorist who was released in a deal between Israel and Hamas was nabbed last week at the entrance of a mall in central Israel after he infiltrated from Samaria.

The dramatic arrest occurred at the Kanyon G shopping center in Kfar Saba when the terrorist tried to enter the mall.

A security guard posted at the entrance noted that the man had an Arabic accent, and questioned him regarding his place of residence.

When the man claimed that he lives in the Palestinian Authority-administered city of Qalqilya in Samaria, the guard pointed out that as a Palestinian Authority resident without an ID card, the man must have illegally crossed the border into Israel.

After being refused entry, the terrorist left the scene and changed his clothes and attempted to enter the mall once again.

This time he was detained and police called to the scene.

After being detained by authorities, the terrorist was identified as Muhammed Abu Attaya, a Gazan convicted of multiple security offenses who was released as part of the 2011 deal which secured the return of Gilad Shalit, an IDF soldier abducted by Hamas terrorists during a raid into Israeli territory.

Abu Attaya was convicted in Israel and sentenced to ten years in prison for attempted murder, weapons dealing, planting explosive devices, and membership in a terrorist organization.

Police say that Abu Attaya was smuggled into Israel by a 50-year-old Israeli man.

Following Abu Attaya’s arrest, the man suspected of transporting him across the border fled the scene, but was later apprehended and arrested.

Yoram Cohen, the commander of the Kfar Saba police station, said that the department views the incident as a foiled terrorist attack.

“As far as we are concerned, he is a terrorist in every sense, and a terror attack was prevented.”

gaza stripKfar SabaPalestinian terrorShalit deal