In a joint operation by the Shin Bet and Israeli police, a plan for a bombing attack at the Azrieli Mall in Tel Aviv was thwarted. Five residents of Tayibe were arrested on suspicion of setting up a terrorist infrastructure affiliated with ISIS and planning the attack. The covert investigation lasted about a month and revealed the dangerous intentions of the suspects to harm the state’s security and its citizens.
According to a joint statement by the police and Shin Bet spokespersons, the investigation began with the arrest of the leaders of the network, Mahmoud Azam and Ibrahim Sheikh Youssef, residents of Tayibe with an ISIS ideology. The two were planning to join ISIS combat zones abroad and maintained connections with foreign ISIS elements. They later recruited three more residents of Tayibe: Sajed Masarwa, Abdallah Baransi, and Abd al-Karim Baransi.
The suspects watched online videos of bombings in Syria and discussed the amount of explosives needed to bring down the Azrieli Towers. The infrastructure was uncovered and disrupted in the early stages of planning. Various weapons were seized during the arrests.
Commissioner Yair Hatzroni, head of the Central District in the police, emphasized the seriousness of the case and the importance of the cooperation between the police and the Shin Bet in preventing a major disaster and saving lives. He promised continued determined action against individuals with extremist ideologies attempting to promote terrorist activities.
In the coming days, a severe indictment is expected to be filed against the suspects for security offenses, in line with the findings of the investigation.
