Security Forces Break Up Hamas Unit in Binyamin Region

A Hamas gang that was working to advance the terror group’s operations in Yehudah and Shomron has been smashed, the Shin Bet announced Monday. Thirteen terrorists were arrested in recent days, including a Hamas member of the Palestinian National Council. Police also seized large amounts of cash, weapons and vehicles that were used by the gang.

The gang operated in the Binyamin area, near Beit El and the communities north of Yerushalayim, and was headquartered in villages around Ramallah. The group attempted to organize Hamas cells in the area and beyond, officials said. The objective was twofold: to carry out terror attacks on Israelis, and to further Hamas’s influence in the area, which is the center of power for Fatah and the Palestinian Authority.

The group provided assistance for families of terrorists, as well as activities for youth and other groups, always emphasizing its connection to Hamas. The group also distributed large amounts of propaganda, calling among other things for terror attacks against Israelis.

Security forces said in a statement that the months-long investigation that led to the arrests indicated that Hamas had not given up trying to spread its ideology far beyond Gaza, “attempting to bring down the Palestinian Authority and institute a Gaza-style terror government in the PA, all accompanied by its ongoing efforts to carry out terror attacks.” Security forces would remain vigilant and continue to fight terrorism using all available resources, the statement said.