Terror attack on Tel Aviv hostage protest thwarted

Jerusalem resident tied to Hamas planned shooting and bombing attacks, including on targeting Tel Aviv demonstrators demanding deal to secure release of hostages in Gaza.

By World Israel News Staff

A Hamas-aligned terrorist from eastern Jerusalem planned a series of shooting and bombing attacks, including on targeting Tel Aviv protesters demanding a hostage deal, Israel Police announced Friday.

The terrorist, a 22-year-old Arab resident of the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, was arrested a month ago, as part of an investigation into his various terror plots, police said.

According to police, the Shin Bet internal security agency initiated the investigation last month.

The suspect drafted plans for a number of possible attacks, including one on a Tel Aviv hostage protest, along with plots to shoot IDF soldiers, and plans to plant bombs on a train in Tel Aviv.

The terrorist’s self-stated goal was “To kill as many people as possible to avenge the people of Gaza and the terror group Hamas.”

As part of his preparations, the terrorist wrote a will and opened a social media group called the “Soldiers of God.”

At the time of his arrest, the terrorist was preparing for his first attack – aimed at the weekly hostage protest in Tel Aviv.

Other terrorist operatives in Judea and Samaria were slated to obtain firearms and bombs for the planned attacks, police said.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (Otzma Yehudit) lauded the officers responsible for the terrorist’s arrest, and called on the Knesset to pass a pair of bills which would make it easier to deport the families of convicted terrorists and to execute terrorists found guilty of murder.

“I commend and praise the commanders and officers of the Jerusalem District [police] for thwarting the terrorist attack planned by a terrorist resident of east Jerusalem,” said Ben-Gvir.

“Along with the fighting in Lebanon and Gaza, we keep a close watch on terrorists within our midst. The Israel Police invest great efforts to prevent them in advance.”

“The Otzma Yehudit party will continue to fight terrorism with full force and enact laws such as the Deportation of Terrorists’ Families Law, the Death Penalty for Terrorists Law, and other deterrence laws, until we eradicate and uproot terrorism from within.”