SMASHING HAMAS

Beduin Hamas cell smashed
Two men from the Beduin village of Tel Sheva near Omer in the south were charged Tuesday with assisting a Palestinian from the Gaza Strip with his plans to kidnap and murder IDF soldiers based in the south of the country. The two Beduin, brothers Yussif Abu Taha, 24, and Salah Abu Taha, 21, were charged with belonging to a terrorist group, assisting the enemy in a time of war, attempted kidnapping with the intent to kill or blackmail, and conspiracy to commit a crime. The Palestinian who recruited them is reportedly a family member.

The group planned to kidnap and kill soldiers, and use their bodies as bargaining chips in exchange for Palestinian security prisoners held in Israeli jails. Security officials revealed Tuesday that the terror cell was apprehended two months ago.

Police from the southern district arrested Hallal Abu Taha, from Khan Yunis, who entered from Gaza under the Israeli family unification program and continued to live in Tel Sheva. While in Gaza, he was recruited into the Hamas by a relative. The organization promised each family member $100,000.

Cell members told investigators that they had picked up a soldier hitchhiking near Netivot, planning to murder and bury him near Tel Sheva. However, they subsequently took pity on him, because he was acquainted with several Beduin. Also, they claim, they noticed several police cars in the vicinity and therefore let him off near Kibbutz Yad Mordechai.

Ramallah Hamas cell cracked
The recent arrests of the members of two Hamas infrastructures, one in Beit Likya near Modi'in and the other in Hebron, by the Shin Bet, the IDF, and police were revealed on Monday.

The Beit Likya cell members were responsible for numerous attacks in Israel in 2003 and 2004, including the suicide bombing at Cafe Hillel in Jerusalem. The attacks left 17 Israelis dead and 108 wounded. Members of the Hebron cell were involved in numerous attacks, including the double bus bombing in Beersheba, and planned to kidnap Rabbi Moshe Levinger.