Amid the ongoing investigation into Tuesday's horrific terrorist attack in Beersheba, the Shin Bet on Wednesday said the attacker likely acted alone and that there were no prior indications pointing to his murderous intentions.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Muhammad Abu Qi'an, 34, was quickly identified as the latest "lone-wolf" terrorist, a phenomenon with which the defense establishment has contended in recent years. Lone-wolf terrorists are usually young individuals who wake up and decide to carry out an attack that day, sometimes without telling anyone of their plans in advance. In the majority of cases, they also aren't armed with weapons that arouse suspicions, sufficing with common kitchen knives or regular cars.
This relatively new terroristic modus operandi has forced the defense establishment to develop new ways of thinking and operating. Indeed, after considerable effort, defense officials, mainly in the Shin Bet and IDF Military Intelligence Directorate (Aman), have developed sophisticated technological tools that can monitor and track individuals who move around unusually; and also monitor social media networks for terrorists who have posted last wills online before embarking on their murder sprees.
The attack in Beersheba, however, was different. Beyond the fact that the terrorist didn't fit the classic terrorist profile, he was an Israeli citizen who decided on his own, and apparently without informing anyone close to him, to carry out an attack. In cases such as these, it's almost impossible to prevent it from happening.
With that, it's important to note that he was no ordinary innocent civilian. He was well-known to the Shin Bet for planning to enter Syria in 2015 to join the Islamic State group. At the time, in his efforts to join the terrorist group, he took certain steps that allowed the Shin Bet to gather incriminating evidence against him, after which he was jailed for four years. He was released from prison in 2019, and because there were no indications of further terroristic activity on his part, the Shin Bet stopped monitoring him closely.
It's also important to bear in mind that from a legal perspective, the Shin Bet cannot track Israeli citizens, even if they are former convicts, and can only do so if there is reason to believe they are actively involved in terrorist activity or are directly involved in planning an attack. This appears to be how Qi'an fell between the chairs – there were no alarm bells to arouse the suspicions of the Shin Bet, allowing him to slip under the radar up until the moment he decided to kill as many people as possible.
Regardless, Shin Bet officials are also investigating other avenues. Qi'an's two brothers were arrested and were remanded in custody by the Magistrates' Court in Ashkelon. The Shin Bet wants to find out if the brothers or anyone else knew of Qi'an's intentions before the attack.
Meanwhile, Police Chief Superintendent Yogev Chai Attias of the Southern District said that officers "arrived at the scene of the attack within four minutes. Their objective was to search for anyone else who may have been involved."
Attias added that new units had been formed in recent months to bolster security in Beersheba. "We've enhanced protection wherever the public goes. People are surely feeling a sense of insecurity [in the wake of the attack], and we're aware of that. We will always strive to for more manpower and a new police station will be built in the near future," he said.
Also Wednesday, in further efforts to bolster security in the country's south, Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked and Housing Minister Ze'ev Elkin revealed plans to construct 10 new communities in the Negev.
Five of these communities – known as the "Mevo'ot Arad bloc" – are expected to be approved by the government on Sunday.
They will be constructed in areas north of Arad and east of Beersheba.
Elkin said the new proposal for additional settlements will help ensure the security of the Negev.
"The establishment of new settlements will move residents from the center of the country south, [which will] strengthen the Negev economy and increase security throughout the region," the official said.
Shaked praised the initiative, and explained it "has strategic and national importance in strengthening the settlement of the Negev."
"Creating 10 new communities is Zionism in all its glory," she added.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
Plans for the potential construction of five other towns along Israel's Highway 25 will also be considered by the government on Sunday.
Meanwhile, there were serious concerns on Wednesday following the possible breach of a sensitive IDF system used for approving work permits for Palestinian laborers.
According to the suspicions, individuals who broker in work permits hacked the system and identified contractor files without employees from the Palestinian Authority. The brokers then illegally filled the files under the names of those contractors with the names of hundreds of Palestinian laborers. This allowed them to broker and profit off of work permits and allowed the Palestinian laborers a path to enter Israel illegally. Aside from being a criminal offense through which laborers are both illegal and uninsured, the phenomenon in question could also represent a danger to Israel's security.
