BICOM

Israel’s internal security agency revealed yesterday that it uncovered a terrorist cell operating in the West Bank, which was recruited and financed by an Iranian intelligence operative living in South Africa.

Three members of the cell, which had been operating for about two years, were arrested in November according to the Shin Bet. The main operative is 29-year-old Mahmoud Makharmeh, a computer engineering student living in Hebron. He was recruited by his South Africa-based relative Bakhar Makharmeh, who is originally from Hebron. The other two operatives were 22-year-olds Nour Makharmeh and Diaa Sarakhneh, both residents of Hebron.

During the investigation the Shin Bet discovered that Iranian intelligence has been using South Africa as a “significant centre for locating, recruiting and operating agents against Israel”.

Bakhar recruited Mahmoud Makharmeh during the latter’s trip to South Africa in 2015. He met several times with Iranian agents in South Africa, some of whom came from Tehran to meet him.

According to the Shin Bet, Mahmoud Makharmeh was tasked with recruiting suicide bombers and organising a cell to carry out shooting attacks. He was offered explosives and weapons training and asked to open an electronics store in the Hebron area for the purpose of transferring photos to his South African-based relative and Iranian intelligence.

He was also tasked with recruiting Israeli Arabs to take espionage photos inside Israel, as well as transferring Israeli SIM cards and funds to Iranian intelligence. It is believed these were necessary for operations in Israel.

Mahmoud Makharmeh was charged in a military court with offences including contact with a hostile organisation, receiving enemy funds and attempting to join an illegal organisation. The other two were charged with conspiring to join an illegal organisation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that this is “not the first time” that the Shin Bet, with the assistance of the IDF, have “exposed and foiled a terrorist network in Judea and Samaria that operated under the aegis of Iranian intelligence”.

“I would like to bring it to your attention that Iran is using terrorism against the State of Israel not only with the assistance of terrorist movements such as Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad but is also attempting to organise terrorist actions inside the State of Israel and against the citizens of Israel,” the Prime Minister added.