Israel Dismantles Large Hamas Network in Hebron

Latest Developments

• Hamas Network in Hebron: Israel’s Shin Bet intelligence agency said on June 29 that it had dismantled in the West Bank city of Hebron a large Hamas network that was planning attacks in the West Bank and Israel. The agency’s investigation revealed that operatives received training for firearms use, collecting intelligence on Israeli targets, manufacturing explosives, and assembling IEDs for the purpose of mounting attacks in the West Bank and Israel. Twenty-two firearms and 11 grenades were confiscated, and more than 60 suspects were arrested, including a terrorist responsible for carrying out a West Bank shooting attack on August 31, 2010, that left four Israelis dead.
• Bomb Lab located Near Hebron: The IDF stated on June 25 that a joint operation involving the Shin Bet and Israeli police located a bomb lab near Hebron in the West Bank. Israeli forces arrested five wanted suspects and confiscated bomb-making material, airsoft weapons (replica firearms used for sport), and large amounts of cash. Israeli Border Police and IDF troops also arrested an arms dealer and a second suspect near Jenin.
• Netanyahu Denounces Israeli Civilian Attacks on IDF: Prime Minister Netanyahu condemned “a fanatic few” Israeli extremists who committed attacks on military forces and security sites in the West Bank over the weekend. “No civilized country can tolerate violent and anarchic acts such as the burning of a military installation, damage to IDF property, and assaults on security personnel by citizens of the state,” Netanyahu said. The IDF reported on June 29 that “Israeli civilians set fire to and vandalized a security site containing systems that help thwart terrorist attacks and maintain security.”

Expert Analysis

“While coverage of West Bank terrorism has appropriately focused on the northern sector, it is important to recognize that other areas like Hebron remain Hamas strongholds. The city has a long history of Hamas activity and has been the point of origin for major terrorist attacks, notably the 2014 abduction and murder of three Israeli teenagers by Hamas. Since Hamas already has existing infrastructure in Hebron, it makes the city a possible location for it to regroup following the IDF’s operations to eliminate terrorist infrastructure in the northern West Bank.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal

“David Ben Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, took drastic steps to ensure the newly created state enjoyed a monopoly on the use of force. Israel must again demonstrate its opposition to lawlessness and vigilantism. Not only are the disturbances by fringe activists in Judea and Samaria wrong, but they also undermine Israeli security and force the IDF to invest its limited resources defending against Israelis rather than protecting them.” — David May, FDD Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst.

FDD Background and Analysis

“Pregnant Israeli Woman Murdered in West Bank Terror Attack While En Route to Give Birth,” FDD Flash Brief

“Lowest Number of Monthly Attacks in 5 Years Recorded in West Bank,” FDD Flash Brief

“Islamic Jihad Terrorist Involved in the Murders of Three Israelis Eliminated by IDF,” FDD Flash Brief