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Shin Bet nabs Hamas bomb-maker who snuck into Israel with medical visa

Israel recently thwarted a Hamas plan to establish an explosives manufacturing network in Judea and Samaria using a medical permit to sneak in a key terrorist.

By TPS

The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) recently exposed and thwarted a Hamas attempt to establish a bomb-making network in Judea and Samaria that relied on Israel’s humanitarian medical permits to sneak in terrorists, the security agency revealed Wednesday.

Fadi al-Sabah, a Hamas-trained bomb expert from the Gaza Strip, infiltrated Israel by taking advantage of a permit to receive medical treatment in the country. He was tasked with establishing a bomb lab that would supply suicide bombers with explosives.

The plans were exposed after a series of arrests among terrorists in Gaza.

Al-Sabah, 35, was arrested by Israeli forces in Teibe in May. He was recruited by Hamas operative Ashraf Sabah in July 2018 and underwent training in bomb building for several months. He was also trained on how to bypass Israeli security vetting and background checks.

Sabah was imprisoned for 12 years in Israel for his involvement in executing attacks against Israeli forces on the Gaza border.

Al-Sabah was recruited by Hamas after they learned that he was in the process of receiving a permit to enter Israel for medical treatment. Hamas decided to use him for terrorism purposes.

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Some of al-Sabah’s trainers were released in the Shalit deal, the Shin Bet noted.

Before al-Sabah left for treatment in Israel, Ashraf Sabah sewed notes with code words into his jacket. The codes would have been used for communication between the various terror cells.

To obtain the proper medical records that would secure him an entry permit, al-Sabah got a Gazan doctor to provide him with a note that stated that he could not be treated in the Strip. After receiving the permits, he underwent training by Hamas.

In May 2019, Fadi entered Israel through the Erez Crossing with the message-containing jacket in his luggage. He was to be treated in a Hebron hospital, but never arrived there and instead met up with terror operatives.

He was arrested a few days later in Teibe in northern Israel and was recently indicted in a military court.

A senior Shin Bet official stated, “We are again witnessing Hamas’ exploitation of humanitarian permits provided by the State of Israel and its utilization of this medium to promote the organization’s hostile activities in Israel.”

Israel previously exposed several cases in which Hamas utilized Israel’s medical permits to promote terrorism.