Arrests in East Jerusalem Linked to Assassination Plot
On Tuesday, Israeli authorities announced the arrest of seven individuals from a predominantly Arab neighborhood in East Jerusalem. These suspects were allegedly involved in a plot to assassinate a senior Israeli scientist and the mayor of a major Israeli city, reportedly on behalf of the Iranian government.
While a statement issued by Israelās police and Shin Bet, the Israeli security service, refrained from disclosing the identities of either the scientist or the cityās mayor, it confirmed that the arrested individuals were residents of Beit Safafa, an area primarily inhabited by Palestinians.
According to the statement, some of the suspects had taken photographs of the scientist’s residence as part of their preparations for the assassination attempt. Their plans reportedly included not only the assassination but also a plot to blow up a police vehicle and throw a grenade at a residential property, all in exchange for a total payment of approximately $50,000.
The police report provided limited information regarding the suspects but noted that one of them, a 23-year-old Israeli citizen, had taken the initiative to recruit the others. This group was also directed to vandalize property by spray painting graffiti in various locations across Jerusalem, set vehicles ablaze, and gather intelligence on their intended targets. However, the report did not clarify the rationale behind selecting these specific targets.
This announcement followed closely on the heels of another report from the police, which detailed the dismantling of a different spy network consisting of seven Jewish Israelis who were allegedly collecting intelligence for Iran. The timing of these revelations, as well as the specific dates of the arrests, remains unclear.
Israel’s government has expressed intentions to retaliate against Iran following a drone and missile attack that occurred on October 1. Direct hostilities between Israel and Iran escalated in April, marking a significant shift in their decades-long covert conflict.
The English-language version of Iranās state news agency, IRNA, has not reported on these two cases nor provided any comments from Iranian authorities regarding the accusations.
Beit Safafa, the neighborhood where the suspects resided, is part of East Jerusalem, an area that Israel captured from Jordan in 1967 and subsequently annexed. While Israel considers all of Jerusalem its undivided capital, most residents of East Jerusalem are Palestinians who aspire for it to serve as the capital of a future Palestinian state. The United Nations Security Council has classified this region as occupied territory.
In a related development, the police announced on Tuesday that, in collaboration with other Israeli security agencies, they have recently indicted an individual who was allegedly planning an attack on a demonstration advocating for the release of hostages held in Gaza. Further details regarding this specific plot have not been disclosed.