Israel’s security services announced the arrest of five Palestinians from the West Bank area of Tul Karm and charged them with planning a terror attack in Israel, under orders from Hezbollah, the Islamist militia ensconced in southern Lebanon, delivered via email.
The ringleader, Mahmoud Jallul, was recruited via social media networks by Jawad Nasrallah, the son of Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, according to the court filings. The younger Nasrallah intended to run the team remotely, over the internet.
An email account that was read by the Israeli services contained instructions to field suicide bombers wearing explosive belts and to track Israeli forces operating in the area.
Meanwhile, Jallul asked Hezbollah for funding and armaments. According to the Israeli authorities, Hezbollah transferred $5,000 to the West Bank group.
Two of the cell’s members used the money to buy a gun for use in a terror attack.
The Israeli investigation found an email in which Jalloul sent his Hezbollah handler a plan to kill an IDF officer. It included personal information about the officer and his photo. Jalloul asserted that he and his cell were tracking the officer and asked for $30,000 to buy the necessary weapons.
With Hezbollah initially suspicious, a friend of Jallul counselled him not to ask for too much money. Sixteen encrypted messages were passed between Tulkarm, in the West bank, and southern Lebanon, and included instructions on terror attacks, intelligence on Israeli training bases, terror attack plans sent to Hezbollah for approval, and the location of a Gaza resident to transfer the funds for the attacks.
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