BICOM

The Shin Bet intelligence agency yesterday revealed that a joint operation with the IDF had thwarted an 11-strong Hamas cell in Hebron which was planning terrorist attacks against Israelis.

The suspects were all arrested last month. Two alleged central figures were named yesterday as 20-year-old Hebron resident, Saib Saltan, and his cousin, 28-year-old Hebron resident, Abas Saltan. The latter is a known member of Hamas’s military wing and has spent time in Israeli detention. Weapons and explosives were uncovered during the investigation. Under interrogation, the suspects said that they had attempted to carry out an attack in the Tel Rumeida area of Hebron, but that a technical failure meant that an explosive did not detonate. They had also collected data in advance of further planned attacks in Jerusalem and Hebron with several cell members having agreed to be suicide bombers.

In a statement, the Shin Bet said, “The activities of this cell reflect the tangible threat posed by Hamas activities in Hebron.” The statement further added that the arrests demonstrated the dangers of “military operatives arrested in the past, who go back to the cycle of terrorism.”

Meanwhile, clashes took place last night in the Deheishe area north of Bethlehem. A Golani infantry unit entered the area in order to make arrests, but was attacked by between 70 to 100 people who hurled rocks, blocks and firebombs at them from rooftops. One soldier was injured when struck by a concrete block and evacuated to hospital.

Given the physical threat, IDF soldiers then opened fire and a 20-year-old Palestinian named as Jihad al-Jaafari was killed. An IDF spokeswoman said that, “After trying in vain to disperse the crowd of attackers, our forces force feeling imminent danger to their lives responded with fire toward an instigator.” However, al-Jaafari’s family reportedly claim that he was not involved in yesterday’s violence.