Israel Police arrested three Arab-Israelis from Arara, near Haifa, on Monday for pledging allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS) and for planning to carry out terrorist attacks in Israel, police announced.
Two adults and one minor were apprehended on suspicion of planning to carry out terrorist attacks in Israel in the name of ISIS. Per the indictment, the minor had begun to express interest in the Islamic State four to five years prior to the arrest.
The investigation was conducted by the Israel Police and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency). In January, the three scuffled with Border Police officers.
Following that incident, they initiated contact with a foreign agent and decided on the goal of harming Jews.
“The investigation revealed, once again, a concerning trend of the expansion of the age group of people participating in terrorist activities within the Arab-Israeli sector – namely, minors.
They aimed to build strong explosives
A police official said, “Anyone who chooses terrorism will be caught and brought to justice.”
The investigation found that the suspects had received instructions from ISIS based in Syria on how to assemble explosives and had conducted their own experiments in open areas.
“The goal was to build an explosive strong enough that it would harm Israeli security forces,” said police. The prosecution indicted the three and requested that they be apprehended until the legal processes are completed.