The Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet) and the Israel Police thwarted a planned shooting attack by an Arab Israeli in Jerusalem’s Old City during Ramadan.
According to a joint statement released on Sunday, the suspect, Oudai Mobarsham from Makr, east of Acre in the Western Galilee, was arrested in February after buying a homemade rifle and undergoing training with it.
He confessed to interrogators planning a shooting attack targeting police officers or Jewish Israelis near Damascus Gate. The attack was intended as an expression of solidarity with the Palestinian cause, particularly if Muslim prayers on the Temple Mount were restricted during Ramadan, Mobarsham said.
The investigation revealed that Mobarsham had acquired an illegal weapon and conducted shooting training. The weapon was later found in the possession of his brother, who was also arrested in connection with the plot. Furthermore, Mobarsham attempted to recruit others to join the attack, with several individuals identified and detained for questioning as part of the cell.
Shin Bet officials warned that the attack, had it been carried out, could have sparked significant escalation during a tense period. Following the completion of the investigation, the Haifa District Prosecutor’s Office filed an indictment against Mobarsham and his brother for their roles in the plot.