Israeli security officials announced on Tuesday the recent exposure and arrest of a cell of Hamas operatives from eastern Jerusalem who were planning to assassinate a member of Knesset and carry out a series of other devastating attacks in the capital.
The cell’s plans were discovered in early April. The five terrorists, all residents of East Jerusalem in their twenties, intended to murder far-right Knesset member Itamar Ben-Gvir, abduct Israeli soldiers and use a drone to bomb the Jerusalem light rail, among other attacks.
In preparation for their ambitious scheme, the terrorists purchased a large personal drone that could carry an explosive device and land on one of the light rail trains that traverse Jerusalem with hundreds of passengers. Police also found cameras for filming hostages, cash and Hamas material and equipment in the group’s possession.
Israeli investigators said the activists were acting under the direction of a man named Rashid Rashek, who set up several cells in Jerusalem to instigate riots in the capital, and in particular in and around the Temple Mount. These operatives are believed to also be behind the distribution of Hamas flags that appeared among rioters on the Temple Mount during Ramadan.
Prosecutors on Tuesday filed the first indictment against three members of the cell for conspiracy to commit terrorist acts, reported Channel 12 News.
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