Hamas suicide bombing foiled in southern Israel

Arab Israeli teen inspired by ISIS planned stabbing attacks and suicide bombing on behalf of Hamas after being enthralled by the October 7 invasion.

By World Israel News Staff

An Arab Israeli terrorist inspired by the Islamic State terror group was arrested recently after authorities uncovered plots to carry out stabbing attacks and a suicide bombing against IDF soldiers in southern Israel.

On Wednesday, prosecutors filed an indictment with the Beersheba District Court against a 17-year-old Arab citizen of Israel on charges including aggravated attempted murder, terrorist training, attempting to obtain illegal weapons for terrorism, and planning to commit an act of terrorism.

A joint investigation by the Shin Bet security agency and Israel Police led to the suspect’s arrest last month.

The Beersheba District Court has barred publication of the would-be terrorist’s identity, due to his age.

The suspect, a resident of the Negev in southern Israel, first expressed interest in the ISIS terror group in 2020 and later resolved to commit terror attacks against Israeli soldiers at a bus stop in the city of Beersheba.

His plans initially focused on stabbing attacks targeting soldiers at the bus stop, but later shifted to a suicide bombing plot.

The terrorist had initially planned to declare his attack was in support of ISIS, but after the October 7, 2023 invasion of Israel, decided to act on behalf of Hamas instead.

In recent months, the terrorist began preparing improvised explosive devices, but because he feared they might not function during the attack, he attempt­ed – unsuccessfully – to obtain a handgun to ensure the attack’s success.

Due to difficulties in obtaining certain materials needed to complete the devices, the suspect decided to replace the two explosives with a simpler device and threw the two original devices into a trash bin near his home.

The Shin Bet and Israel Police warned that the plot highlighted the danger of ISIS’ influence in Israel, noting the group had inspired “deadly attacks in the past” in Israel.