Israeli forces foiled planned attack, arrest terror cell trio

Israeli security forces arrested three suspected members of a terror cell on Saturday who, according to officials, were planning an imminent attack.

Two suspects were detained in eastern Barta’a, an Arab village in northern Samaria near the border between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, based on intelligence from the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet). The third suspect was apprehended later.

No injuries were reported among Israeli forces.

In addition to the Shin Bet, Yamam—the elite counter-terrorism unit within the Israel Border Police—and the Israel Defense Forces participated in the operation.

(Barta’a was divided by the 1949 armistice line, which ran in the village along the Wadi al-Umiya streambed, into eastern and western sections. The western part is part of Green Line Israel. All of Barta’a is on the “Israeli” side of the Samaria security barrier.)

Israeli Border Police officers, together with IDF troops, entered a compound in the Judean town of Al-Eizariya, aka Bethany, and dispersed an illegal gathering held in support of three Hamas terrorists killed last week in Gaza, the Israel Police said on Sunday.

Last week, Israeli security forces arrested an Arab terrorist minutes before he carried out an attack in the central city of Rehovot. The suspect, identified only as a resident of the northern Arab Israeli town of Ar’ara, was arrested at a gas station near Route 6, also known as the Trans-Israel Highway, after Shin Bet intelligence indicated his intention to carry out a terrorist attack.

Since the start of the war against Hamas in Gaza 21 months ago, there has been growing radicalization among Israel’s Arab minority. Security officers have investigated dozens of cases involving citizens.

According to the Kan News broadcaster, there have been at least 26 cases of Israelis swearing allegiance to ISIS and other terrorist organizations, as reported in March.

The IDF arrested some 400 wanted Palestinian terrorists during operations across Judea and Samaria last month, the military said on July 3.

During the June 13–24 “Operation Rising Lion” targeting Iran, Israeli security forces intensified counterterror efforts across Judea and Samaria, conducting more than 2,500 raids, according to the IDF.

In addition, the IDF, Israel Border Police and Shin Bet dismantled six Palestinian terrorist cells that had been planning attacks against Israeli civilians and security forces.

The IDF stated that approximately 160 illegal weapons and more than one million shekels in funds intended for terrorist activities were confiscated.