Shin Bet Uncovers Hamas Women’s Cell in Chevron

The Shin Bet has foiled a large-scale Hamas operation in Chevron, an announcement that was cleared for publication on Tuesday. The operation recruited dozens of terrorists, including women who worked in coordination with Hamas headquarters in Gaza as well as abroad in order to promote terror activity, the Shin Bet said. This connection included the transfer of messages and instructions, the transfer of funds to finance terror activities, and the coordination of terror activity.

The Shin Bet said that the cell promoted Hamas activity in Chevron, including the recruitment of terrorists, the coordination of activities in mosques, preaching activities, intelligence gathering, online incitement, assistance to prisoners’ families, and more. The Hamas cell also attempted to take control of the Chevron municipality and various charities in the city.

The cell was led by Nazar Shehadah and Faras Abu Sharh, senior and well-known Hamas terrorists who have served prison terms for their terrorist activity. They also used a number of women who established a committee to serve as the operational arm of Hamas’ headquarters in Chevron.

The committee was headed by Dina Karmi, the widow of Nashat Karmi, a terrorist who carried out an attack in 2010 in which four Jews, Hy”d, were killed. Karmi was killed after the attack.

Abu Sharh and Shehadah worked behind the scenes in conveying instructions to women to promote the terror group’s activity. Over the years, the committee has expanded its activity by mobilizing dozens of activities for Hamas and establishing numerous subcommittees.

A number of activities included meetings with Hamas commanders who were released by Israel as part of the Shalit deal, headed by Haroun Nasser Adin, who is in Turkey, to receive money, messages and instructions to convey to Hamas in Gaza.

The Shin Bet said that “the exposure of the terror activities proves once again that the Hamas headquarters in the Gaza Strip and abroad are directing Hamas activities in Yehudah and Shomron, through any means at their disposal, including  the use of women. They are constantly working to inflame Hamas terror activity in Yehudah and Shomron and are willing to recruit emissaries traveling between Yehudah and Shomron and abroad for the purpose of transferring terrorist funds and messages to terrorists in the field.”