One of the Palestinian terrorists who plotted to bomb an Israeli wedding hall. Photo courtesy of the ISA
A Palestinian from Gaza seeking to enter Israel for commercial purposes had a shockingly different plan in mind—bombing a wedding venue. In addition, Mahmoud Yusuf Hasin Abu Taha also plotted to kidnap and murder an Israeli soldier, and then use him in negotiations with Israel, reported a press release from the Israel Security Agency.
But Abu Taha’s plot didn’t even get across the Gaza border, as he was arrested at the Erez crossing by Israeli security. He had been recruited by a senior terrorist in the Islamic Jihad group in Gaza and was working with two Palestinians illegally in Israel and a third who was living there for “family unification.” One of the illegal Palestinians worked at the events hall where the attack was to take place. The ISA press statement noted the case “reiterates the manner in which terrorists will exploit humanitarian and economic permits to enter Israel, as well as the risk posed by Palestinians present in Israel illegally.”
Israeli Prime Minister’s Office spokesman Ofir Gendelman, on his Twitter page, confirmed the intention of the plot, tweeting that the attack was “to bomb a wedding hall” in southern Israel.
The ISA press statement noted that Abu Taha and one of the illegal Palestinians had already scouted out the targeted events hall and “formulated and developed an operative plan in order to maximize the number of casualties.”
The Islamic Jihad terror cell had even received funds from the Islamic Jihad to use in renting an apartment in Israel to take the solider to be murdered and buried as part of the second plot.
Instead, the terrorists were indicted in Israeli court on Thursday. Said the ISA press release, “This grave case underscores—again—the efforts of Gaza Strip-based terrorists to carry out murderous attacks in Israel, in addition to their activities in the Strip.”
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, October 20, 2016)