The Israel Police and Shin Bet security service have successfully thwarted a potential car-bombing attack targeted at Tel Aviv’s iconic Azrieli Mall, arresting five Arab Israeli citizens involved in the plot.
The suspects, residents of Taybeh in central Israel, formed a terror cell aligned with the Islamic State (ISIS), according to a joint statement released on Thursday.
The arrested individuals, identified as Mahmoud Azam and Ibrahim Sheik Yousef—who led the cell—along with recruits Sajed Masarwa, Abdullah Baransi, and Abdel Kareem Baransi, were apprehended following a month-long covert investigation.
Authorities indicated that the group had studied footage of terror attacks in Syria and discussed explosive quantities needed to demolish the Azrieli towers.
Communication with foreign ISIS operatives suggested plans to travel abroad for further coordination. Law enforcement described the intelligence operations that led to the arrests as “precise and effective,” emphasizing that they had intercepted the plot in its early stages, which could have resulted in major casualties.
This announcement follows a series of violent incidents, including a recent shooting that resulted in the death of a Border Police officer and multiple injuries at a Beersheba bus station, further underscoring the ongoing security challenges faced by Israel.
The police and Shin Bet have vowed to continue utilizing all available resources to prevent attacks that threaten the safety of the state and its citizens.
