Moshe Aviv Tower, Tel Aviv. Photo: Avivcomp.co.il

JNS.org– Israeli security forces arrested five Palestinians in October and November who were plotting to carry out a suicide bombing in the Tel Aviv area, the Shin Bet security agency said Monday.

The suspects include Jenin resident Yasmin Sha’aban, who was the designated suicide bomber. She planned to obtain an entry permit into Israel for medical reasons and to wear an explosive belt hidden under her clothes while disguised as a pregnant Jewish woman. The other four suspects are all men who reside in the Tulkarm area in the West Bank.

Following the arrests, a homemade M-16 rifle, a hunting rifle, ammunition, and explosive materials were confiscated by Israeli security forces. The suspects admitted they were in contact with a terrorist operative from the Gaza Strip, who instructed them on how to assemble the explosive belt. Hamas and Islamic Jihad planned to claim joint responsibility for the suicide attack, the Shin Bet said.