Terror cell nabbed after attacks on Jewish neighborhood in central Israel

Two Arab Israeli terrorists arrested for string of shooting, grenade, and arson attacks in central Israeli city, along with plans for bombings.

By World Israel News Staff

A pair of Arab Israeli terrorists responsible for a series of attacks on Jewish residents of a mixed city in central Israel have been arrested, authorities announced Monday.

In a joint statement, Israel Police and the Shin Bet security agency said that Khalaf Muhammad Hussein Abu Jhannam, 21, and Modi Akram Taleb Ghanim, 20, were arrested several weeks ago in a raid conducted by the Shin Bet and the police department’s Central District Major Crimes Unit.

Both men are residents of the city of Ramle, a community with a mixed population of Jews, Arab Muslims, and Christians.

Prosecutors from the Central District Attorney’s Office filed indictments against the two suspects on Monday with the Lod District Court.

According to the charge sheet, the two terrorists conducted a campaign against Jewish residents of Ramle, which, according to authorities, was intended to intimidate police and stymie efforts to enforce the law in Ramle’s Arab neighborhoods.

Police and the Shin Bet said the suspects wanted to “send a message to the security forces against the law enforcement [sweep] being carried out in the city, and in order to intimidate the forces.”

In particular, prosecutors said, the pair were angered by clashes between police officers and members of Ghanim’s family in 2025.

In December, the terrorists torched four cars on a predominantly Jewish street in Ramle and opened fire on apartment buildings in the area.

Later, Ghanim threw a hand grenade at a Jewish family’s car in Ramle. The grenade failed to detonate.

At the time of their arrest, the pair were plotting to carry out bombing attacks and had researched how to assemble pipe bombs.