The Israeli security agency Shin Bet announced this Thursday (13) the arrest of around 40 members of the terrorist group Hamas in the Bethlehem region, in the West Bank, accused of planning armed attacks against Israeli civilians and military personnel. The arrests took place in recent weeks, in more than 15 operations coordinated with the Israeli police and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), according to local press reports.
According to the Shin Bet, the terrorists were part of an organized network in the Belém area, responsible for recruiting extremists, setting up armed cells and acquiring weapons for military use. Investigations indicate that one of the cells was in an advanced stage of preparation and intended to carry out “imminent” attacks against Israeli civilians and military personnel.
During the operations, security forces seized M16 automatic rifles, pistols and hundreds of ammunition, as well as communications equipment and other materials used in planning the attacks. The Shin Bet said the actions prevented massacres that could have resulted in “massive loss of life” in Israel.
The newspaper Jerusalem Post highlighted that the operation was a real blow against Hamas and represented a strategic setback for the terrorist group and other extremist factions that are trying to expand their armed actions from the West Bank, following the military weakening in the Gaza Strip.
According to the broadcaster i24Newsthe seized material and the statements collected were forwarded to the Israeli Military Prosecutor’s Office, which is expected to file formal charges in the coming weeks. The Shin Bet reinforced that it will continue to act to prevent the expansion of Hamas in the West Bank and prevent new attacks against Israeli targets.
Israeli authorities say that, since the beginning of the year, dozens of attacks planned by Hamas and Islamic Jihad cells have been thwarted in the region. The Israeli government maintains regular preventive operations in cities such as Bethlehem, Jenin and Nablus, considered hotbeds of terrorist activity and weapons logistics in the West Bank.
