Two Israelis were arrested by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) earlier this month for allegedly setting up an Islamic Jihad cell near Ramallah and planning to assassinate air force pilots and scientists, it was released for publication on Thursday.
Islamic Jihad gunmen.
Photo: Ariel Jerozolimski
The men - both from the Western Galilee town of Shfaram - were identified as Anis Zfori, a 20-year-old student at Bir Zeit University north of Ramallah, and Husam Halili, a 19-year-old who studies in Jordan.
The pair confessed to contacting Islamic Jihad's headquarters in Syria and to raising funds to buy weapons.
The cell members underwent training and planned a shooting attack on an IDF checkpoint near Ramallah as well as attacks against Palestinians suspected of cooperating with Israel. They had also begun planning the assassination of key Israeli figures such as IAF pilots, scientists and university lecturers.
Zfori told investigators that after moving to Ramallah in 2006, he became friendly with members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine as well as with reporters from Hizbullah's Al-Manar satellite news station.
He allegedly set up the cell together with Islamic Jihad members from Ramallah, and had recruited Halili as someone who could potentially transfer money from Jordan to Israel. Halili told interrogators he had been aware of Anis's plans to commit acts of terrorism.
The two suspects will be indicted next week.
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