Chilling ISIS Plan Foiled: Car Bomb Aimed at Killing Jews in Jerusalem Stopped
Israeli authorities arrested three East Jerusalem residents linked to ISIS for plotting a car bomb attack on a Jerusalem checkpoint, uncovering their plans through a Shin Bet-led investigation. The suspects, influenced by ISIS propaganda, had begun preparing explosives and sought training in Syria before their arrests.
Israeli security forces thwarted a major terrorist attack planned by three East Jerusalem residents who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS), targeting the Sheikh Saad checkpoint in the Jabel Mukaber neighborhood. The Israel Police and Shin Bet (ISA) arrested the suspects, all in their 20s, before they could execute their plot, which involved a car bomb, shooting attack, or explosive-laden drone aimed at police and Border Police personnel. The investigation, launched weeks earlier by the Jerusalem Central Unit and Shin Bet, uncovered their deep ties to ISIS, with the suspects consuming extensive online propaganda, including graphic execution and combat videos. They ultimately chose a car bomb, believing it “can cause greater damage and kill more people,” as revealed during interrogations.
The operation began with the arrest of a Sur Baher resident several weeks ago. A search of his home uncovered a hidden handgun and ammunition concealed in a sock. Two additional suspects were detained shortly after, and all three confessed to planning the attack and seeking explosives training in Syria, having contacted ISIS operatives in Judea, Samaria, and Syria via social media. One suspect had acquired a weapon explicitly to “kill Jews.” The Shin Bet noted a 400% rise in ISIS-related arrests in 2024 compared to 2023, with 1,040 terror plots thwarted in the Judea and Samaria alone. A joint statement from the police and Shin Bet affirmed, “Israeli Police and the Shin Bet will continue to act together with other security forces to arrest terror operatives and thwart plans to carry out terror attacks, in order to protect the citizens of the State of Israel.”
Posts on X reflected relief, with one user stating, “Another ISIS plot stopped, kudos to Shin Bet for keeping Jerusalem safe.” The suspects’ arrests have been extended, with two facing a prosecutor’s statement and the third expected to be indicted soon, marking a significant victory in Israel’s ongoing fight against terrorism amidst heightened regional tensions.