In a major counterterrorism operation, Israeli authorities have dismantled a plot by five Arab Israeli citizens to carry out a devastating car-bombing attack at Tel Aviv’s Azrieli Mall. The plot, which was orchestrated under the banner of the Islamic State (ISIS) terror group, was foiled through a joint effort by the Israel Police and the Shin Bet security service, according to a statement released on Thursday.

The suspects, all residents of Taybeh in central Israel, had formed a terror cell aligned with ISIS. The five individuals were arrested following a month-long covert investigation led by the Lahav 433 serious crime unit. Authorities revealed that the cell’s leaders, Mahmoud Azam and Ibrahim Sheik Yousef, were in direct contact with foreign ISIS operatives and had plans to travel abroad for further coordination.

The investigation uncovered that the group had studied footage of terror attacks in Syria and deliberated over the explosives needed to bring down the iconic Azrieli towers in Tel Aviv. They had also recruited three other members: Sajed Masarwa, Abdullah Baransi, and Abdel Kareem Baransi, to carry out the planned attack.

The security services were able to disrupt the plot in its early stages, preventing what they described as a “major disaster.”

In their statement, the Israel Police and Shin Bet praised the swift actions that “saved lives” and pledged to continue using all available resources to combat threats to national security.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)