Israeli security forces last month arrested two Palestinians planning Islamic State-inspired terror attacks in Jerusalem, the Israel Police and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) cleared for publication on Thursday morning.
The suspects, both in their twenties, were arrested in December in the eastern Jerusalem neighborhood of Jebel Mukaber, according to a joint police and Shin Bet statement.
During a weeks-long investigation, authorities learned that the two were influenced by ISIS content online and on Telegram, including graphic videos of killings around the world.
The pair planned to plant improvised explosive devices around eastern Jerusalem aimed at security forces, and to commit other acts of terror.
One of the suspect’s cell phone contained pedophilia material, which will be added to the charges, according to police and the Shin Bet.
Last week, ISIS spokesman Abu Huthaifa al-Ansari called on supporters around the world to attack Jews and avenge the killing by the Israel Defense Forces of Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip.
In a 30-minute recording titled, “And kill them wherever you find them,” Al-Ansari instructed terrorist cells to strike Israeli and Jewish targets across the United States and Europe, including synagogues, Jewish gatherings and Israeli diplomatic missions.
“The fight with Jews is a religious war, not a social or national battle,” said Al-Ansari, according to a translation of the speech provided by The Messenger, stressing: “It is not a [war] centered around lands or borders.”
“Barge into their homes and kill them using different methods, including gunfire, bombs, grenades and knives,” he stated. “Don’t differentiate between a civilian or a soldier, as they both should be targeted.”
In the wake of Hamas’s Oct. 7 onslaught on southwestern Israel, security forces found an ISIS flag on the body of one of the terrorists they killed in Kibbutz Sufa.
Last month, Israeli authorities revealed that a resident of the Arab city Tira was arrested on suspicion of security offenses, including identification with ISIS.
In mid-November, security forces arrested three residents of southeastern Jerusalem’s Umm Tuba neighborhood on suspicion of being members of ISIS.
On Nov. 5, Israeli security forces killed a Palestinian ISIS operative during an overnight arrest raid in the Arab village of Abu Dis outside Jerusalem.