The Israel Security Agency (ISA/Shin Bet) has dismantled a massive Hamas terrorist network in Hebron, foiling imminent attacks and solving past murders.
The operation, carried out over the past three months, led to the arrest of more than 60 Hamas operatives. Multiple weapons were seized.
The operation also resolved one of the deadliest shooting attacks in the past 15 years: the 2010 attack in Judea that claimed the lives of four Israelis at the Bani Naim intersection in the Hebron Hills.
A collaborative effort between the Shin Bet, the IDF, and the Israel Police’s Shi’a District, the operation uncovered a sophisticated and multi-faceted Hamas network that was also actively planning to carry out attacks in the immediate future.
Hamas Ex-Cons Ran the Network
Shin Bet investigations revealed that senior Hamas officials in Hebron, many with prior incarceration in Israeli prisons, were instrumental in recruiting, arming, and training new operatives. These individuals were preparing to execute shooting attacks and detonate improvised explosive devices (IEDs) against Israeli targets.
Operatives underwent shooting training, gathered intelligence on potential targets, manufactured explosives, and assembled IEDs, all aimed at perpetrating major attacks across Judea and Samaria and within pre-1967 Israel.
The Shin Bet, IDF, and Israel Police arrested more than 60 individuals as part of the bust. The intelligence provided by these operatives during interrogations was crucial in thwarting numerous planned attacks and facilitating further arrests. Approximately 10 terrorist cells in Hebron were specifically identified and neutralized.
Cache of Weapons and Ammunition Seized
During the raids, authorities seized 22 various types of firearms, 11 grenades, and a large amount of ammunition.
An underground hideout used for storing weapons and hiding fugitives was also uncovered.
Past Murder Cases Solved
The Shin Bet confirmed that the investigation also solved a 15-year-old attack at the Bani Naim junction in the Hebron Hills. On August 31, 2010, four Israelis — Yitzhak and Tali Ames, Kochava Even Haim, and Avishai Schindler — were murdered in a Hamas shooting attack.
A key perpetrator in that attack, as well as others connected to the same infrastructure, were arrested during the recent operation.
Security officials also apprehended individuals suspected of supplying weapons used in the November 16, 2023, shooting at the tunnel checkpoint near Jerusalem, where Corporal Avraham Patna was killed.
Largest, Most Comprehensive Case in 10 Years
“This is the largest and most extensive investigation case that the Shin Bet has thwarted in Judea and Samaria in a decade,” a senior Shin Bet official said.
“Most of the members of the infrastructure were previously incarcerated in Israeli prisons and are experienced in interrogations.
“The exposure of the infrastructure that was conducted in secret, while maintaining compartmentalization between the various cells, constitutes a significant thwarting of Hamas’ intentions to carry out a series of serious attacks in Israel.”
Indictments currently being filed against the suspects include charges of leading a terrorist organization, fulfilling a managerial or command position, attempting to intentionally cause death, and intentionally causing death.
