Terror Plot Foiled: Israeli Teen Planned to Attack Soldiers at Bus Station After ISIS and Hamas Influence

Counter-Terror Operation Foils Planned Attack

A joint operation by Israel's Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and the Police has revealed that a resident of the Negev, approximately 18 years old, was arrested last month on suspicion of planning a terror attack at a bus station in Be'er Sheva. The operation was launched after intelligence indicated the suspect's increasingly radicalized activities.

Following the investigation, the Southern District Prosecution filed a serious indictment against the young man today (Wednesday), which includes charges of preparation for an act of terrorism, receiving instruction for terror purposes, and weapons offenses.

Investigation findings indicate that the suspect began actively browsing channels and websites affiliated with the ISIS terror group as far back as 2020. This exposure led him to decide on carrying out a stabbing attack at a bus station frequented by soldiers in the city. To prepare, he purchased a knife and began practicing its use while searching for instructional videos online on "how to stab people."

Switching Allegiance and Planning Explosives

The suspect's plans later escalated. He decided to execute the attack using explosive devices or a suicide belt. Notably, following the events of October 7th, the accused decided to rebrand his planned attack as being on behalf of the Hamas terror group rather than ISIS.

In recent months, the young man began constructing improvised explosive devices. However, fearing that the initial devices would fail during the attack, he unsuccessfully tried to acquire a handgun to ensure the plot's success. Due to the difficulty in obtaining necessary materials to complete the construction of the explosives, the accused ultimately decided to replace his two initial devices with a simpler one and discarded the first two into a trash can near his home.

Wider Network of Radicalization

This case is part of a series of arrests highlighting the issue of self-radicalization and terror-inspired plotting within Israel.

Just last month, a 14-year-old resident of Jaffa was arrested in Ramallah in a joint operation led by the Tel Aviv Central Unit and directed by the Shin Bet. The investigation revealed that the youth had established contact with both ISIS and Hamas, providing them with videos and documentation of structures in Israel allegedly related to security forces. It was further reported that the autistic 14-year-old, who taught himself languages, traveled alone to Jenin to prepare explosives and successfully created devices whose functionality remains under investigation. The youth reportedly exchanged messages with ChatGPT for hours on how to construct an explosive device and viewed Hamas instructional videos.

Furthermore, two months ago, an indictment was filed against Najib Dik, a 25-year-old resident of Baqa al-Gharbiya. Dik was arrested after pledging allegiance to the ISIS terror group and planning a deadly attack. According to the prosecution, Dik considered attaching an explosive device to a kiosk near Moshav Ma'or where soldiers were present, aiming to cause fatalities. He even drove around the area listening to jihadist songs but did not carry out his plan. His indictment detailed that he systematically viewed terror and execution videos, downloaded guides for making explosives, and read aloud the ISIS oath, thereby considering himself a full member of the terror organization.