Israel's General Security Services and Israel Police have uncovered an ISIS (Islamic State) cell in northern Israel. Publication was permitted today on some of the details of the cell, which was operating in the Nazareth region and was targeting the IDF and Israel Police.
It has been revealed that the seven members of the cell were arrested last month. The Israelis, all residents of the north, had acquired guns and had been practicing firing them. The seven were indicted in the Haifa District Court. Five of the seven already had a criminal record related to security offenses.
Four of the seven have been charged with organizing a terrorist group and setting up an ISIS cell in Israel. The four are Ahmed Mahajna (20), Mohammed Gazalla (23) both from Yefiya near Nazareth, and Mohammed Sharif (22) and Ahmed Ahmed (26) from Nazareth itself. Ahmed Ahmed is serving a life sentence for the murder of taxi driver Yefim Weinstein and allegedly spoke on the phone with the others and advised them on how to perpetrate terror attacks.
The defendants are charged with making contact with Israeli Arabs fighting for ISIS in Syria who encouraged them to train with their weapons and carry out terror attacks in Israel. The three are also charged with collecting information about an IDF base near Migdal Ha'emek and the police station in the town. They planned throwing a Molotov cocktail at the police station near the entrance to the city.
When questioned, the three admitted plans to hit stores in Yefiya and Nazareth that sell alcohol. One of the accused implicated himself in incidents in 2012 when Molotov cocktails were thrown at a place of gambling and a store selling alcohol. In the incidents people were injured and there was damage to property.
The accused had attempted to buy an M16 assault rifle but the deal collapsed due to a financial dispute. However, they did obtain dozens of bullets for pistols that they already owned.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on October 1, 2015
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