Plot to assassinate Israel's Ben-Gvir foiled, Shin Bet claims

Israeli officials have disclosed the arrest of 11 individuals, comprising seven Israelis and four Palestinians, for the alleged plot to assassinate Israel's rabid National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Israel's domestic security agency Shin Bet claimed on Thursday that the detained suspects, a mix of Arab Israelis and West Bank Palestinians, had devised plans to carry out a series of attacks across Israel and the occupied West Bank.

Among their alleged targets were military installations, governmental structures in Jerusalem, and Ben Gurion Airport, leading Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported, quoting Israeli security agencies.

"Within this framework, there was even an intention to assassinate National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, by obtaining an RPG rocket in order to carry out the attack," the Shin Bet alleged.

The agency, commonly called Shabak in Israel, alleged that the group wanted to attack the illegal settlement of Kiryat Arba in the occupied West Bank, where Ben-Gvir resides.

The alleged plot, per Shin Bet, included the acquisition of a shoulder-fired rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) rocket to execute the assassination attempt on the minister, known for incendiary and often ugly and racist rhetoric against Palestinians.

Ben-Gvir released a statement in response to the arrests [translated]:

"I want to thank the Israel Police, the General Security Service, all the security forces and everyone who participated in the arrest, investigation and prosecution of those who planned to assassinate me with an RPG."

Doubts

However, skepticism has also emerged regarding the feasibility of the so-called "assassination" plan.

Several experts including former Israeli military intelligence officer Raphael Jerusalmy expressed doubts, suggesting that the ambitions of the suspects far exceeded their capabilities.

"It was more of a fantasy....there's a very big disproportion between the goals and those who wanted to reach them," Jerusalmy told Israel's i24NEWS.

According to Shin Bet, however, the suspects had sought to establish a clandestine weapons manufacturing and training facility, either in southern Israel or the West Bank, to further their objectives.

The agency said the men had also initiated contact with the resistance group Hamas in Gaza, with one Palestinian detainee allegedly receiving instructions from the resistance group.

The arrested Arab Israeli suspects were identified as Bilal Nassara, Wissam Siwati, Hamza Ghaith, Saud Abu Laban, Sameh al-Obra, Yousef Abu Hawli, and Fahmi Kathani. The Palestinian suspects included Akram Ammer, Muhammad Sabheh, Ahmed Atiq, and Ahmed Saleh.

Indictments were subsequently lodged against ten of the suspects at the Beersheba District Court.