Hamas Terror Plot Foiled: Israel

Kidnappings, car bombings, attacks on stadium and railways said to be planned
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 27, 2014 1:00 AM CST
Hamas Terror Plot Foiled: Israel
In this Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009, file photo, an Israeli man blows the shofar while school children unfurl a large Jerusalem flag at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem.   (AP Photo/Tara Todras-Whitehill, File)

Car bombings, kidnappings, and attacks on railway stations and Jerusalem's Teddy soccer stadium were just some of the items on Hamas' checklist, according to Israeli officials who today say they foiled a major West Bank terror plot by the group, the AP reports. The Shin Bet security service confirms it arrested in September more than 30 militants who reportedly were recruited and trained in Jordan, Turkey, Syria, and the Gaza Strip to carry out their missions, the Jerusalem Post reports. Their orders came directly from Hamas leaders who had set up shop in Turkey, and a stash of weapons and explosives was found as well, CNN reports. Other intended plans: sneaking into Israeli communities, targeting Israeli traffic and military hubs, and establishing Jordanian terror cells, the Post notes.

The operation apparently started to fall apart after a failed roadside attack at the end of August, the Times of Israel reports: Info gathered after that incident offered "a wealth of information about the infrastructure." "This is one operation that has been published, but there are many more that remain secret," PM Benjamin Netanyahu says, per the AP. "These foiling activities are against terrorists and against Hamas, which challenges the existence of a Jewish nation-state and the existence of Jews in general." Hamas, meanwhile, has offered no comment so far. (A reported member of Hamas drove right into an Israeli crowd in October and killed a baby.)

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