Three Palestinian terrorists from Hebron have been charged with plotting to murder Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and his son, the Israel Police and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) announced on Thursday following a joint investigation.
According to the “severe indictment” submitted this week to the military court, the main defendant, Ismail Ibrahim Awadi, contacted several individuals to establish a terror cell, acquire weapons and manufacture explosive devices.
Awadi reached out to the Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist organizations in July 2024 for assistance in carrying out a series of planned attacks.
According to the indictment, Awadi tracked the travel routes of Ben-Gvir and his son, identifying the vehicles used and counting the number of security personnel surrounding the minister. One option he considered was assassinating Ben-Gvir after he arrived at the scene of a terrorist attack, which the minister regularly does.
Israeli security forces have thwarted numerous attacks targeting Ben-Gvir since he took office.
The ISA revealed in September that a Tehran-sponsored terrorist cell plotting to carry out attacks in the Jewish state, including assassinating Ben-Gvir, had been caught. Five suspects were arrested—three Palestinians and two Israeli citizens.
The Israeli Attorney General’s Office said in June that the leader of a Hamas terrorist cell based in eastern Jerusalem that had planned to assassinate then-opposition lawmaker Ben-Gvir and carry out a series of other attacks against civilians had been sentenced to 13 years and 10 months in prison.
In April, the ISA said that it had thwarted a plot to kill Ben-Gvir with a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) or other means. Seven Israeli Arabs and four Arabs from Samaria were arrested in connection with the plot.
JNS reported in March that a man from eastern Jerusalem had confessed to plotting to assassinate Ben-Gvir following his arrest.
