It was permitted to publicize that in the past two months, the activity of the Israeli Border Police in the Jerusalem Envelope area has exposed a terrorist infrastructure of seven persons from Kalandia refugee camp in the Binyamin Brigade, which is situated on Jerusalem’s northern border, cell members who were throwing explosive devices and Molotov cocktails at the Kalandia Crossing.

In the wake of several incidents of the throwing of explosive devices and Molotov cocktails at the Kalandia Crossing, border police investigators from the Jerusalem envelope began collecting intelligence and analyzing findings collected in a number of cases in which terrorist attacks were carried out.

An officer assigned to the unit responsible for interrogations and gathering intelligence information reports: “The investigation revealed that the terrorist organization was headed by Mustafa Khaled Shehadeh Sababa, born in 2000, a resident of the Kalandia refugee camp who was involved in the sale of weapons, among other things, to carry out an attack against an Israeli settlement. In addition, it became clear that Mustafa would have supplied the explosive charges and Molotov cocktails to a terrorist squad of six operatives, a squad that he used and sometimes even took an active part in its activities.”

As the investigation progressed, the conditions for the special forces of the Border Police, including an undercover unit in Jerusalem, ended in an attempt to stop the terrorist operatives. As part of the operation, the forces were deployed on December 25, 2018, at the Kalandia Crossing area. At night, they identified four operatives who were carrying IEDs at the crossing.

“We operated there for a long time until we noticed a number of suspects who came from Kalandia towards the crossing when they suddenly pulled a number of explosive charges, lit them, and threw them at the crossing,” said the commander of the undercover unit. “From the moment we noticed the suspects throwing bombs at the crossing, we jumped from our positions and after a chase we stopped two of the suspects.”

Caught in the act were two terrorists, 18 or 19 years old. They were taken for questioning by the border police. March 1, 2019, it was learned via additional border police activities together with the IDF, this time inside the Kalandia refugee camp, leading to the arrest of three additional suspects. It was learned through their questioning that among their tax plan, was to set the crossing ablaze. It is reported that two of the suspects, are minors, ages 15 and 16 years old.

Criminal indictments have already been handed down against six of the suspects in the Ofer military court with the charges including acts of terror, use of explosive materials, and other security offenses. The seventh member of the cell remains in the custody of ISA and is being interrogated. The indictment details and each and every one of the six had already taken part in acts of terrorism involving pipe bombs, Molotov cocktails, releasing of fireworks, possession of an M-16 assault rifle, and finally the manufacture of IED’s.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)