The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) has uncovered a number of Palestinian terror cells operating in the Hebron area and planning a series of attacks, including the kidnapping of a resident of Kiryat Arba.

The Shin Bet said Wednesday that one of the cells, affiliated with the Hamas military wing, was led by two 21-year-olds from Hebron, one of whom – Mahmoud Dwek, was jailed before in Israel for expressing a desire to serve as a suicide bomber in an attack against Israel.

The cell planted a number of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) along the security fence surrounding the settlement of Kiryat Arba.

The cell planned to infiltrate the settlement and abduct a settler or alternatively murder one if the kidnapping was unsuccessful. The cell also admitted to throwing several Molotov cocktails at other settlements in the area.

Another two Palestinians – both 26 years old - from the Bethlehem area were apprehended and found responsible for an IED attack against an Israeli car near the West Bank village of Yata.

The Shin Bet said that the IED was highly sophisticated and was detonated with a mobile phone. The explosive device was hidden inside a fire extinguisher. (© 1995-2011, The Jerusalem Post 05/24/12)