Hamas used state television to recruit terrorists to Jerusalem and plan attacks

Israel's General Security Service (Shabak) has halted attempts by a secret unit of the Hamas group in the Gaza Strip recruit Palestinian residents of Judea and Samaria (West Bank) and East Jerusalem to carry out terrorist activities against Israel. The unit sent secret messages via the TV channel Al Aqsa, from Hamas.

In recent years, several young people, including women, who were in contact with the Hamas secret unit, have been arrested by security forces.. Recently, other young people from Judea and Samaria were arrested and revealed during investigations that they were in contact with the secret unit of the Islamic terrorist group Hamas.

One of the detainees, 21-year-old Qutayba Al Nawaja from Yatta, started a dialogue with a Hamas militant in Gaza, Mohammad Arbid, about a year ago via the Facebook social network. In the beginning, Al Nawaj thought that Arbid was a journalist, because during the unrest on the Gaza Strip border, Arbid was showing photographs taking him dressed in a t-shirt bearing the word "PRESS" (Press).

In November 2018, Arbid introduced Al Nawaj to another Hamas activist, who described himself as a member of the terrorist group's military wing and proposed to Al Nawaj to carry out attacks on behalf of Hamas. .

To prove to Al Nawaj that his interlocutor was a member of the Hamas military wing, Al Nawaj was told to pick a verse from the Qur'an and watch the channel Al Aqsa TV, the next day. During a certain program, his host discussed the verse chosen by Al Nawaj and Al Nawaj saw this as evidence that he was talking to a Hamas member.

Hamas members in Gaza told Al Nawaj that heDestroy a suicide bomber with the help of an explosive belt in the city of Lod, Israel. Al Nawaj was to receive the explosive belt a few days before his arrest.

In addition to Qutayba Al Nawaj, three other young people were recently arrested in Judea and Samaria on suspicion of being in contact with the Hamas secret unit in Gaza.

The Shabak has been identified among television presenters who have helped Hamas' military wing to pbad messages to 30-year-old Islam Bader, who lives in Jabaliya, and to Hamas activist and channel presenter . Rajai Hamas, 32 years old, residing in Gaza.

A senior Shabak official said: "This activity of the armed wing of Hamas is further evidence of a series of Hamas attempts in the Gaza Strip to commit terrorist attacks.is recruiting members in Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem, who have been derailed by Shabak in recent years and led to the arrest of dozens of young activists in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria. "

"The discovery of this infrastructure shows once again how Hamas is constantly trying to take advantage of the people of Judea and Samaria to carry out its military activities for Hamas in the Gaza Strip."