Six West Bank Men Detained in Rocket Plot Against Israel
Shin Bet and police say the group conducted three launch tests and used a messaging app to source explosive materials.
By Rebecca Foster ·
Israeli security forces arrested six Palestinians from the Jenin area on Tuesday, citing a joint announcement from the Shin Bet and the Israel Police. The suspects are accused of trying to build rockets for launch into Israel.
The investigation identified a network that had already manufactured one rocket and several explosive devices. Agents found evidence that the cell conducted at least three launch tests. The primary suspect confessed to forming the group and naming its members. He stated that the tests showed successful power and range, and that the group made adjustments after each attempt.
Shin Bet and police said the cell received technical details on making explosives through a messaging application. An outside source sent this information to the main suspect. Another member admitted to helping the group acquire the necessary explosives.
Officers seized an assault rifle and an RPG grenade launcher during the raids. They also confiscated written guides with instructions for creating rockets and explosive devices for use against Israeli security forces. Prosecutors plan to file formal indictments against the six men in the coming days.
In a separate action in the same region, Border Police officers captured two men in the village of Kafr Dan near Jenin. The raid took place on Monday. One suspect, a wanted man affiliated with Fatah, surrendered to undercover officers surrounding a clothing store. Police said he had been hiding for a long period and was advancing terror activity. The store owner was also detained for helping him hide.
Palestinian media reported that extremist settlers set fire to two vehicles and part of an unoccupied building in the South Hebron Hills overnight. They sprayed the Hebrew phrase 'Evictions = chaos' on the structure. No injuries were reported in that incident. Fires also damaged several vehicles in the village of Majdal Bani Fadil in the Nablus area during the same night.
Israeli security forces arrested 18 settlers the day before the fires. These men rioted and attacked troops during the evacuation of an illegal outpost in the northern West Bank. This incident occurred as settler violence against Palestinians has increased sharply this year. The surge continued in the weeks before last week's election, which ended without a clear winner for either side.
Netanyahu has described the violence as the work of a small number of delinquents from outside the West Bank. Critics argue the government condones the attacks, which have displaced dozens of Palestinian families. The Israel Defense Forces faces growing criticism for troops standing by during attacks, participating in them, or failing to prosecute those responsible.
