Israeli Arab indicted after plotting to contaminate the Sea of Galilee

Fahmi Kittani declared his allegiance to ISIS in 2015 and planned assaults on Israel Defense Forces soldiers and suicide bombings.

By JNS

A 22-year-old Arab from Baqa al-Gharbiya in central Israel, who was indicted on terrorism charges, planned to poison the Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret) as part of an ISIS plot, the Israel Police revealed Thursday.

Fahmi Kittani, who declared his allegiance to the terror group in 2015, planned various attacks, including assaults on Israel Defense Forces soldiers and suicide bombings, according to the indictment.

Kittani allegedly immersed himself in ISIS ideology, actively participating in and distributing content through Telegram channels associated with the terror group. In February, he circulated execution videos amongst his contacts, threatening similar actions against Jews.

Further investigations uncovered communications where Kittani expressed admiration for the killing of IDF soldiers and discussed plans for future attacks with accomplices Akram Ammar and Bilal Nasasra.

The trio planned to poison the Kinneret—Israel’s primary freshwater source—by placing an animal carcass in one of the pumping stations. They also attempted, unsuccessfully, to manufacture explosives based on instructions communicated through ISIS networks. The prosecution has requested that Kittani remain in custody until the conclusion of his trial.

This indictment coincides with a broader crackdown on ISIS-inspired terrorist activities in the Jewish state.

In recent months, security forces have foiled an ISIS-inspired plot near the Knesset, Israel’s parliament in Jerusalem, as well as dismantled a terror cell associated with ISIS in Tarqumiyah, near Hebron. The Judea cell had successfully produced over 100 explosive devices.

In early April, four residents of eastern Jerusalem were charged after planning an attack on a police station.

Earlier this year, Islamic State spokesman Abu Huthaifa al-Ansari published a speech where he called on ISIS supporters around the world to attack Jews and avenge the deaths of Hamas terrorists in Gaza.