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Israeli security forces announced on Friday the arrest of four residents of East Jerusalem’s Beit Safafa neighborhood on suspicion of affiliation with the Islamic State and planning attacks against Jewish Israelis.
The Shin Bet security agency said the suspects, all in their 20s, had embraced extremist ideology and were preparing for what they described as a “great war of the end of days.”
According to the investigation, the four Palestinians were detained in recent weeks after intelligence indicated they were consuming large quantities of Islamic State propaganda.
Officials said the content included execution videos and other graphic materials that reinforced their ideological commitment to the terror group. As their radicalization deepened, the suspects allegedly began acquiring military equipment.
One of them managed to purchase a pistol, which police later found hidden inside a henhouse at his home, along with other materials believed to be intended for future attacks. During interrogation, the Shin Bet said the suspect admitted he intended to use the firearm “against Jews or anyone who is not a Muslim.”
Investigators said the group planned to expand its arsenal by purchasing additional weapons and equipment. They were reportedly motivated by online ISIS messaging that urged followers to prepare for an apocalyptic confrontation with Jews and other perceived enemies. Security officials said the four viewed themselves as participants in this envisioned “final war.”
The Shin Bet emphasized that the suspects’ online activity played a central role in their radicalization. The agency said they spent long periods watching violent Islamic State videos and engaging with extremist material that glorified attacks and martyrdom.
This digital exposure allegedly helped shift their intentions from ideological support to operational planning. Authorities expect indictments against two of the suspects to be filed in the coming days.
The investigation into the remaining two members of the group is still ongoing, with all four currently held in detention. Police described the arrests as part of continuing efforts to curb the spread of ISIS-inspired extremism among young Palestinians in East Jerusalem.
Friday’s announcement follows a series of recent cases involving Islamic State sympathizers inside Israel. Earlier this year, three East Jerusalem Palestinians were arrested for planning attacks on Israeli soldiers at border checkpoints. In another case revealed this week, a teenager from the Triangle region was indicted after allegedly preparing an ISIS-inspired attack.
In October last year, the Shin Bet said it thwarted a major plot involving five ISIS loyalists from the town of Taybeh who planned to detonate a car bomb at Tel Aviv’s Azrieli Mall. Security officials say these incidents reflect ongoing efforts by the global terror organization to influence individuals in Israel through online propaganda.
Authorities stressed that despite ISIS’s significant territorial losses in recent years, the group continues to inspire lone-wolf actors and small cells. Israeli security forces have vowed to remain vigilant as they monitor extremist networks and intervene before plots can be carried out.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members