Jerusalem, 25 April, 2022 (TPS) — Israel’s combined security services were successful in exposing and capturing an Islamic Jihad terror cell that planned to carry out terror attacks in Judea and Samaria, the Shin Bet security service revealed Monday.

The cell numbered eight terrorists, including a 40-year-old mother of four, Arabs from Jenin and the surrounding villages, and was guided from the Gaza Strip.

The investigations showed that the cell members were recruited on social media by Ahmad Nabil Ahmad Judeh, a resident of Rafah in the Gaza Strip, an Islamic Jihad operative involved in locating and recruiting potential terrorists.

Prominent among the detainees is Yasmin Shaaban, 40, a resident of the village of Jalama near Jenin, a mother of four, an Islamic Jihad activist who previously served a prison sentence for involvement in planning a suicide bombing.

Shaaban acted as an intermediary between Judeh and members of the squad and assisted them with money transfers, weapons and ammunition.

Her arrest and interrogation were key factors in cracking the case and exposing the rest of the cell.

The investigation led to the arrest of another seven cell members from Samaria.

One of the leaders is Muhammad Yassin, a resident of the village of Deir Abu Daif near Jenin. He recruited a number of other people from his village, who were subsequently arrested.

Yassin and members of his cell received training materials from the Gaza Strip and manufactured a high-quality rocket-like explosive device with which they planned to carry out an attack on farmers in the area.

On April 20, 2022, an indictment was filed against the Shaaban and Yassin in the military court in Samaria, alleging serious security offenses. Indictments have recently been filed against four other cell members.

The Shin Bet noted that in recent years, there have been constant attempts by all terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip to promote terrorist activity with the support of Arabs living in Judea and Samaria.

“This is a systematic and extensive activity that is being driven by organizations, including the Islamic Jihad organization, in order to destabilize the entire region,” the security agency said.