The Philippine National Police (PNP)  thwarted a plan by the Hamas terror group to establish a foothold in the country and attack Israelis there, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported on Tuesday.

PNP Intelligence Group chief Brig. Gen. Neil Alinsangan said that the police were tipped off about the alleged plot by a local contacted by a Hamas operative.

“Our Filipino source identified the Hamas operative as ‘Bashir,’ who was reportedly attempting to establish a foothold in the Philippines with pledges of financial support to some local threat groups, including militant extremists with links to the international terrorist organizations,” Alinsangan said.

PNP director for intelligence Major General Michael Dubria said that Bashir’s real name is Fares Al Shikli, the head of Hamas’ Foreign Liaison Section.

“He has also an Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization) red notice and is charged with an Offense of Terrorism Logistics Support,” he added.

“Accordingly, it was in 2016 that Fares Al Shikli started grooming him [the Filipono] as a local contact in the Philippines and introduced to him theoretical bomb-making training in one of their meetings in Malaysia. Late 2017, Fares Al Shikli expressed his intention with the source to recruit Filipinos with links to local threat groups that will be utilized to kill Jews present in the country, conduct rallies at selected embassies and spread video propaganda in exchange for financial support,” Dubria said.

According to the report, this isn’t the first time that Hamas’s nefarious plots have been uncovered in the Philippines. In January 2018, an Iraqi scientist identified as Mohammad Al Jabori who was tied to Hamas was arrested in Pampanga. He was later deported by the Bureau of Immigration to Turkey.

“This is a stern warning to all terroristic groups who plan to conduct recruitment and similar activities in the country, we have a way to know you and you cannot do your plans here because the PNP and AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines), through the active support of the community, are working together to preempt your devious plans,” Dubria said.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)