Palestinian police officers loyal to Hamas march during a graduation ceremony in Gaza City, April 29, 2019. Photo: Reuters / Ibraheem Abu Mustafa.

i24 News – The Philippine National Police (PNP) announced on Tuesday the uncovering of a plan by Hamas to target Israelis in the southeast Asian country.

According to a report by Police Brig. Gen. Neil Alinsangan, PNP Intelligence Group director, a local contact of the Gaza-based terrorist group tipped authorities to the alleged plot to recruit Filipinos to carry out terrorist attacks against citizens of the Jewish state.

“Our Filipino source identified the Hamas operative as ‘Bashir,’ who was reportedly attempting to establish a foothold in the Philippines with pledges of financial support to some local threat groups, including militant extremists with links to the international terrorist organizations,” Alinsangan said.

Alinsangan disclosed that Bashir’s real name is Fares Al Shikli, who police say is the head of Hamas’ Foreign Liaison Section.

The report was sent to Police Maj. Gen. Michael John Dubria, PNP director for intelligence.

The Filipino source made several trips to Malaysia between 2016 and 2018 to meet with Shikli to discuss terrorist attacks against Israelis in exchange for financial assistance.

“It was in 2016 that Fares Al Shikli started grooming him as a local contact in the Philippines and introduced to him theoretical bomb-making training in one of their meetings in Malaysia,” the PNP report reads.

“Late 2017, Fares Al Shikli expressed his intention with the source to recruit Filipinos with links to local threat groups that will be utilized to kill Jews present in the country, conduct rallies at selected embassies, and spread a video propaganda in exchange of financial support.”