The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and Israel Police arrested a cell of Hebron residents who had plotted to assassinate National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir with explosive drones on Wednesday.
Interrogations revealed that the cell planned to assassinate Ben-Gvir during a visit to Hebron's Cave of the Patriarchs using an explosive UAV, but abandoned the plan after a partially successful test run.
In order to plan their assassination of the minister, they followed him on social media, assuming that he would visit the holy site during the Jewish holiday period.
Funding from Hamas operatives in Turkey
They had received funding from Hamas officials based in Turkey, which they used to purchase two UAVs, which they equipped with explosives, as well as a laptop for a total of approximately $2,000.
Investigations revealed that the three cell members acted together with a clear division of roles and prior planning. They also aimed to target Israeli government institutions.
One of the cell members was responsible for fundraising, another for purchasing UAVs, and the third for preparing the explosives, the investigation revealed.
One of the cell members said during questioning that the UAVs and materials, but one of the cell members was arrested by the Palestinian Authority before the planned date, which disrupted their plans.
The third cell member claimed that their plan was only recently finalized, and he had acquired a special operational phone to control the UAVs. While the UAVs operated as expected, the explosives failed, he added. This led to the cell abandoning their original plan, with one suggesting carrying out a shooting attack instead.