Israeli prosecutors indicted two Palestinians from the Nablus (Shechem) area in Samaria on suspicion of plotting to assassinate Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir with an explosive drone, the Israel Police and Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet) said on Wednesday.
According to the indictment, the pair discussed staging a “bait attack” to draw Ben-Gvir to the scene before killing him. One of the suspects later allegedly proposed using an explosive drone and tried to obtain drone parts from China.
Authorities said the two had operated together since late 2023, acquiring rifles, pistols and ammunition, conducting shooting drills and recruiting additional operatives. They also allegedly planned shooting attacks, attacks using explosive vehicles and drones and the kidnapping of Israel Defense Forces soldiers.
They two will remain in detention until the conclusion of the legal proceedings, according to the police. The indictments against them were filed by the Samaria Military Prosecution.
“This is already the 11th time they have tried to assassinate me, and the Holy One, blessed be He, has saved me from their hands!” Ben-Gvir wrote in a response on X.
“I have a message for all those enemies: This will neither deter nor frighten me. I will continue to pursue a tough policy in the prisons, continue the policy of demolishing illegal construction in the Negev, and continue to ensure that the death penalty law we passed is put into effect and enforced,” he added.
זו כבר הפעם ה- 11 שמנסים לחסל אותי, והקדוש ברוך הוא מצילני מידם!
— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) September 23, 2026
יש לי מסר לכל אותם אויבים: זה לא ירתיע אותי ולא יפחיד אותי. אמשיך להוביל מדיניות קשה בבתי הסוהר, אמשיך להוביל את מדיניות הריסת הבנייה הבלתי חוקית בנגב, ואמשיך לוודא שחוק עונש המוות שהעברנו מופעל ומיושם.
הם חוששים… pic.twitter.com/ZltvkzPc1p
Palestinian detained over incitement to violence
Meanwhile, the Israel Police arrested a man in his 50s from An-Nazla ash-Sharqiya in Samaria after he allegedly posted content supporting terrorist organizations and an edited image showing a bullet aimed at the head of an IDF soldier, police said on Wednesday.
“May your prayers for her be answered in the depths of her Hell,” the suspect wrote in the post, according to the police-provided translation.
In another translated post, the police said that he wrote, “By Allah, we will defeat them, make their wives widows and take their children.”
The suspect allegedly continued to glorify and praise terrorists and mass murderers in additional posts, while calling for others to follow in their footsteps.
Police said he remains in custody and that investigators would seek an extension of his detention as they probe suspected incitement and support for terrorism.
He was arrested by IDF forces and Border Police officers from the Judea and Samaria District.
“The Israel Police continues to act against incitement and support for terrorism, both in the public sphere and online, and will continue to act determinedly against anyone seeking to inflame tensions, glorify terrorists and incite violence,” police said.
The suspect’s posts were monitored by the Israel Police’s Crime-Fighting Unit, known by its Hebrew acronym YALAP, a specialized tactical and investigative unit established in 2021 as part of a national effort to combat organized crime.
Since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel’s security agencies have stepped up efforts to combat online incitement to terrorism and the glorification of terrorists.
In March, the Israel Police, together with IDF soldiers, apprehended eight Palestinian suspects throughout Judea and Samaria over incitement to terrorism offenses, as part of this broader campaign.
