“In recent months, the Shin Bet, Israel Defense Forces and Israel Police uncovered a Hamas terror cell, extraordinary in its size and level of activity, which operated in the Nablus area,” the Shin Bet said in a statement Sunday.

According to the Shin Bet, the joint operation with the IDF and Israel Police took place over the course of the past few months leading to the arrest of cell members who operated from October 2017 until their arrest at the end of April.

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The cell, led by 35 year old Mu’tazem Muhammad Salem and 33 year old Faras Kamel Zavidi both from Nablus,  included more than 20 operatives, most of them affiliated with Hamas and some with a long history of terrorist activity, including the manufacture of explosives and explosive devices.

Salem and Zavidi are said to have been responsible for building the explosive charges as well as planning the attacks which included a suicide bombing in Jerusalem, a bombing in Tel Aviv, and in the West Bank settlement of Itamar and shooting attacks across the northern West Bank.

These attacks were thwarted, some at the last minute, due to the arrest of the cell members. In addition to the main cell, other Hamas cells planning terror attacks were discovered and foiled, the Shin Bet said.

During the investigation into the cell, Israeli security authorities found several IEDs including a large explosive charge of 10 kg which could be remotely detonated by a cellphone and more explosives weighing approximately 15 kg in total.  Raw materials for the production of explosives, weapons and instructions for the manufacture of bombs and explosive materials were also discovered by security forces.

Some of the explosives were detonated on site in a controlled explosive by the IDF.

Salem and Zavidi were indicted in a military court on Sunday and detained until the end of court procedures.

While the Shin Bet intified the cell as being part of the Hamas terror group, according to Salem’s indictment the idea to carry out the attacks began after Zavidi spoke to a member of the Al-Nusra Front in Syria, now known as Tahrir al-Sham by using the Telegram messenger service.

The militant in Syria is believed to have offered Salem with $100,000 to manufacture a bomb and detonate it next to Israelis or IDF facilities. He was charged with attempted manslaughter, illegally creating and transporting an explosive, belonging to a terrorist group, contact with an enemy agent, conspiracy to commit a shooting, bringing terrorist funds into the West Bank and obstruction of justice.

The other cell members are expected to be indicted in the near future.

“This case again shows the desire and efforts that Hamas is investing in building terrorist infrastructures in Judea and Samaria in order to carry out severe attacks in Israel,said a senior Shin Bet officer, adding that “This case also indicates Hamas’ desire to carry out attacks against Israeli targets while undermining the current relative quiet.”

“Severe attacks and loss of life have been prevented. We, along with our partners in the IDF and Israel Police, will continue to take determined action to thwart Hamas’s murderous intentions. Infrastructure members will be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law,” he continued. Read more at JPost