Shin Bet Catches Arab With Key Terror Tunnel Intelligence

Shin Bet security officials in recent months arrested an Arab who had entered Israel by climbing over the security fence – but unlike many such Arabs who try to infiltrate Israel in order to find work, this one crossed the border with terror on his mind. Security forces caught him, and upon questioning him discovered that he was a wanted Hamas terrorist who had gone through Hamas military training – and had helped the terror group build tunnels into Israel, the Shin Bet said in a statement.

The suspect, 23-year-old Ahmed Abeed, was indicted in October on numerous terror-related charges, it was revealed for publication Thursday. In his interrogation, Abeed revealed details on Hamas’s terror tunnel project – locations, size, and information on weapons and supplies inside the tunnels. The Shin Bet did not say if the information supplied by Abeed helped security forces to track down the terror tunnel running from Gaza into Israeli territory that IDF forces blew up in October. As many as a dozen terrorists were killed, among them top members of Islamic Jihad, Hamas, and the al-Qassam Brigades. Reports from Gaza said that several of the terrorists had been killed due to “poison gas” that Israel sent into the tunnel. Among those killed were top Islamic Jihad terrorist Arafat Marshad, head of the group’s military wing, and his deputy Hassan Abu Hasnin.

Overnight Wednesday, security officials said they arrested 7 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.