Hamas fighters. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – A gag order lifted on Tuesday revealed that a Hamas terror cell had planned to carry out a shooting attack against Israeli soldiers last month during the holiday of Purim.

The investigation, conducted jointly by the Shin Bet security agency, the Israel Defense Forces, and the Israel Police, found that the members of the terror cell had purchased a vehicle for the purpose of carrying out the attack, which was planned for the Abu Dis area near Jerusalem but never materialized.

The key members of the cell were arrested in early March. The leader, a Hamas operative, worked at the university cafeteria in Abu Dis. He served a sentence in an Israeli prison between 2009 and 2011 for involvement in a previous shooting attack.

Members of the terror cell had trained and practiced shooting an AK-47 assault rifle and a 9mm handgun. In order to cover their tracks, they planned to set their car on fire nearby.