Yerushalayim Hamas Terror Cell Indicted

Three Arab residents of the Yerushalayim neighborhood of Tzur Baher were arrested for planning to carry out terror attacks against Jewish residents of the city on behalf of Hamas, it was released for publication Tuesday. The three members of the terror cell all had previous police records for participating in rock-throwing and other terror attacks. The three were indicted Tuesday on a long list of security violations.

According to the indictment, the terror cell, led by a 39-year-old Tzur Baher resident, was in touch with Hamas terrorists living in Palestinian Authority-controlled areas of Yehudah and Shomron – one of them his uncle – who had been banned from Gaza as part of the deal to release kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. Together they planned shooting and other attacks, and recruited two other residents of the neighborhood to help. They conspired to acquire weapons, and set out specific targets, in an advanced planning stage for their first attack, the indictment said.

Overnight Monday, security officials said they arrested 10 wanted security suspects in other areas in Yehudah and Shomron. The suspects were wanted for participating in rioting and throwing stones and firebombs that endangered Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers. Several of the suspects were also charged with belonging to Hamas. All were being questioned on their activities by security forces.