Shin Bet Foils Major Hamas Network in Hebron, One of the Largest in a Decade

The Shin Bet, in collaboration with the IDF and Israel Police, has dismantled a significant Hamas terror network in Hebron, one of the largest uncovered in the past decade, it was cleared for publication today (Sunday). Over 60 operatives were arrested, 22 firearms and 11 fragmentation grenades were confiscated, and a 2010 shooting attack at the Bani Naim junction, which killed four Israelis, was solved.

Over the past three months, intensive daily operations by the Shin Bet, IDF, and Judea and Samaria Police District exposed a sprawling Hamas network planning imminent attacks. The group, led by former prisoners with experience in Israeli jails, recruited, armed, and trained operatives to carry out shootings and bombings targeting Israeli civilians and infrastructure. They conducted shooting drills, gathered intelligence, produced explosives, and assembled bombs for planned attacks in Judea and Samaria and in other parts of Israel.

The operation led to the arrest of over 60 operatives and the disruption of approximately 10 terror cells in Hebron. Interrogations provided critical intelligence, enabling further arrests and thwarting attacks. Authorities uncovered an underground hideout used to store weapons and shelter wanted individuals, along with significant amounts of ammunition.

Investigations also linked some operatives to past attacks, including the August 31, 2010, shooting at Bani Naim junction in the Hebron Hills, where Yitzhak and Tali Ames, Kochava Even Haim, and Avishai Schindler were killed. Additional suspects were tied to supplying weapons for a November 16, 2023, attack at the Jerusalem Tunnels Checkpoint, where Cpl. Avraham Fetena was killed.

A senior Shin Bet official described the operation as “the largest and most complex investigation in Judea and Samaria in a decade.” The network operated covertly, with strict compartmentalization between cells, making its disruption a significant blow to Hamas’s plans for a series of severe attacks in Israel. Most operatives were seasoned, having been previously imprisoned and familiar with interrogation tactics.

Indictments are being filed, charging the suspects with serious offenses, including leading a terror organization, holding managerial or command roles, attempted murder, and murder in collaboration.

“The Shin Bet, together with the IDF and Israel Police, will continue to act decisively to thwart Hamas’s attempts to carry out terror attacks against Israeli citizens and will ensure justice is served, even years later,” the IDF and Shin Bet stated.