Illustrative: Israeli soldiers run during a raid in Jenin in the West Bank March 30, 2022. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman
 TPX

Israel’s Shin Bet recently thwarted an attempt by a terror cell led by Gaza-based Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives to carry out attacks on Israeli targets, the security agency revealed Monday.

In a joint operation with the Israel Defense Forces, the Shin Bet arrested seven Palestinians from the Jenin area of the West Bank. The suspects were allegedly recruited by Islamic Jihad militants via social media to make explosives shaped in the form of rockets, to use against Israeli farmers in the area. According to the investigation, members of the cell received instructions and training from Islamic Jihad operatives in the Gaza Strip.

“The Shin Bet and Israel’s security forces will continue to relentlessly chase Palestinian terrorist cells trying to assassinate us,” Prime Minister Naftali Bennett stated Monday. “We will not lessen the pressure. Every terrorist should know that he has no day and no night — ultimately we will get our hands on him.”

One of the detainees, Yasmin Shaaban, from a village close to Jenin, is a mother of four who was previously imprisoned for involvement in the planning of a suicide attack, the security agency said. Shaaban, whose arrest played a key role in dismantling the terror cell, allegedly coordinated communication between Islamic Jihad operatives in the Gaza Strip and the members of the cell in the West Bank, and also helped in the transfer of funds, equipment, weapons and ammunition.

https://twitter.com/ofirgendelman/status/1518561770419404800?s=20&t=Mcoe-UpE8lAzbDBH0xTzHA

In recent years, terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip have been seeking to exploit Palestinians in the West Bank for attacks, according to the security service.

“This is a systematic and broad activity motivated by organizations, including the Islamic Jihad, to undermine stability in the entire region,” the agency said. “The Shin Bet, the IDF and the Israel Police will continue their determined operations to identify and thwart any terrorist activity aimed at harming the security of Israeli civilians.”

The Israeli army has made numerous arrests of Palestinian terror suspects around Jenin in recent weeks following a string of deadly attacks in Israel that took the lives of 14 people. Israeli forces have stepped up operations in the area to foil threats, as it has become a focal point of terror activity.