Shin Bet reveals it foiled soldier kidnapping plot by Hamas in West Bank
9 suspects were arrested, and the Shin Bet also seized materials for explosives as well as maps showing planned escape routes
Israel's Shin Bet internal security service revealed on Monday it foiled a Hamas plot to abduct an IDF soldier and carry out attacks against Israeli forces in the West Bank.
As part of the operation, carried out jointly with the IDF and Israel Border Police, nine suspects were arrested last month. All residents of the West Bank, they were involved in setting up the infrastructure for a Hamas terror cell in the Palestinian village of Biddu.
The men had armed themselves, and were preparing for an attack using explosives and artillery. They had also conducted intelligence-gathering of Israeli soldiers in the Binyamin area and set up a place to hide the abducted person as well as planned escape routes.
In addition, the cell had obtained guns and explosives with a plan to carry out attacks against IDF soldiers. The suspects had taught themselves how to produce the improvised explosive devices (IEDS), conducting their activities in a self-made lab inside a domestic residence.
Inside the laboratory, the Israeli security forces found raw materials for the production of explosives, fireworks, pipe bombs, and more. There were also Carlo-type firearms and maps with the attack plans and escape routes, all of which was seized during the arrest raid.
The Shin Bet emphasized the severity of the planned attack, adding that the terrorists had maintained maximum secrecy and had operated in an isolated manner to avoid revealing their activities. The intelligence agency also revealed that some of the persons arrested were related to members of another cell in the same village, which had plotted a similar attack two years ago.