Hamas terrorists. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Israeli authorities have broken up a West Bank-based Hamas terror cell that was planning suicide bombings, among other attacks, the Shin Bet security agency revealed on Sunday.

“In recent months, the Shin Bet, Israel Defense Forces and Israel Police uncovered a Hamas terror cell, extraordinary in its size and level of activity, which operated in the Nablus area,” the Shin Bet said in a statement.

According to the Shin Bet, the cell was plotting bombings in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, as well as a string of attacks against Israeli targets across the West Bank.

More than 20 suspected members of the cell were arrested two months ago, including its leaders, 35-year-old Mutassem Muhammad Salem and 25-year-old Fares Kamil Zebidi.

A Shin Bet official said the arrests showed “once again the desire, efforts, and investment of the Hamas terror group to establish terrorist infrastructure in Judea and Samaria, with the goal of executing major attacks in Israel.”

The IDF said on Twitter on Sunday that it would “continue operating to thwart attacks that threaten the safety of Israeli civilians.”

The IDF will continue operating to thwart attacks that threaten the safety of Israeli civilians

— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) June 17, 2018

In a video statement published on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Hamas is trying to attack us both from Gaza and from Judea and Samaria. This is the reason we must continue to maintain security control over the entire territory west of the Jordan River.”

השב״כ, צה״ל ומשטרת ישראל, סיכלו חוליית טרור של החמאס שניסתה לבצע פיגועי תופת בירושלים ובתל-אביב משכם, מתוך יהודה ושומרון.

החמאס מנסה לפגוע בנו גם מעזה וגם מיהודה ושומרון. וזאת הסיבה שאנחנו נמשיך לשמור על השליטה הביטחונית בכל השטח מערבית לירדן. pic.twitter.com/9xjatxvad0

— ראש ממשלת ישראל (@IsraeliPM_heb) June 17, 2018