An extensive Hamas terrorist network in Hebron has been exposed in a recent joint operation by the Shin Bet security agency, the Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Police, the Shin Bet revealed on Tuesday.
The investigation found that the Hamas network had been put in place to facilitate recruitment, coordinate with local mosques, carry out a propaganda campaign designed to increase support for Hamas in the Hebron area, conduct online PR and incitement campaigns, and provide aid to families of Palestinian security prisoners.
In addition, the network reportedly tried to take control of municipal activities and the work of private charity organizations in the city.
Security forces identified senior Hamas operatives Nazar Shehada and Faris Abu Serah – both of whom have served prison sentences in Israel for terrorist activity with Hamas – as the leaders of the Hebron network, which also included a number of local women, led by Dina Karmi, the widow of terrorist Nashaat Karmi, who killed four civilians in a terrorist attack near Kiryat Arba in 2010.
The women maintained secret contact with the Hamas commanders abroad and in the Gaza Strip about money transfers, operational instructions, and funding for terrorist activity.
"The exposure of this network proves yet again that the Hamas headquarters in Gaza and abroad are working to handle Hamas activity in Judea and Samaria using any means at their disposal, including women," the Shin Bet said.
Following the release of the Shin Bet report on Tuesday, a senior security official warned that the apparent quiet in the West Bank is tenuous, and said security services are thwarting potential terrorist attacks on a daily basis.
