Image by File

A Hamas terror cell whose members were from Jerusalem and Hebron planned to kidnap and murder Israelis, the Shin Bet security service said.

The cell of six people was uncovered and arrested last month, the Shin Bet announced on Thursday.

The Hamas operatives had planned to use the bodies of their kidnapped Israeli victims as bargaining chips in order to exchange them for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, according to the Shin Bet, which called it a similar plan to the kidnapping and murder of three Jewish teens in June 2014.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

The Hamas cell that kidnapped Eyal Yifrach, 19, Naftali Fraenkel, 16, and Gilad Shaar, 16, from a bus stop in Alon Shvut, located in the Etzion bloc of the West Bank, on June 12, 2014, was believed to have been planning to negotiate an exchange of prisoners.

The cell was in the “advanced stages” of planning and had already identified a hideout for the kidnapped Israel’ bodies, according to the Shin Bet. The cell had met in Hebron over the last year to plan the attacks. The cell first planned to carry out a bomb attack and then made plans for a shooting attack before settling on a kidnapping, according to the Shin Bet.

“This affair emphasizes Hamas’ intent to carry out serious terrorist attacks even at the present time in which it is in distress, in order to incite the latest terror wave into a full-blown violent intifada,” the Shin Bet said in a statement. “This affair also demonstrates the reliance of Hamas cells from the territories on residents of Israel who live in Jerusalem, who enjoy free movement and have a good command of Hebrew.”

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount