Israeli Security set to charge 13 Arab Israelis for plotting attacks

Police: 13 Arab Israelis suspected of plotting attacks on behalf of Hamas

In a joint statement on Sunday, the Israeli Police and Shin Bet security service said they were set to charge 13 Arab Israeli suspects of plotting terror attacks on behalf of Hamas. The suspects are thought to have purchased weapons from Hamas operatives in the West Bank. Two men named Muhammad Khaled and Muhammad Yousef are accused of leading the terror cell and recruiting other members. Another one of the suspects, Muhammad Khalaila, has maintained contact with Hamas operatives in the Gaza strip and obtained instructions on how to manufacture explosives. When Israeli Defense Forces raided the cell, an array of firearms and other weapons were found. Separately, 20 East Jerusalem residents have been arrested for support of terrorism in the past two weeks, likely due to high tensions surrounding the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.