Shin Bet Says Hamas Operatives in Turkey Helped Direct Dozens of Foiled Attacks

The Shin Bet said Sunday, together with the IDF, that it had thwarted dozens of attacks over the past year that were directed by Hamas operatives operating from Turkey. According to the agency, the people involved belong to Hamas’s so-called "West Bank arena," the body responsible for planning and advancing attacks against civilians and security forces in the West Bank.

The Shin Bet said the arena is now headed by Zaher Jabarin, while its military wing is led by Ayman Abu Khalil. It added that in recent years, and especially over the past year, Hamas members have used their stay in Turkey to run an extensive terror network with little interference.

That network, the agency said, includes recruiting attackers, holding meetings with activists from the West Bank, and transferring money and weapons into the territory. In recent investigations, five "senior Hamas operatives" in the network were exposed, all operating from Turkey.

The suspects named were Ayman Sharouna, accused of recruiting operatives and promoting terror activity; Mohammed Malah, originally from the Tulkarm area and splitting his time between Turkey and Qatar, accused of helping transfer terror funds; Majed Jaabah, accused of helping smuggle the weapon used in the November 2023 Tunnel Road checkpoint attack; Walid Abu Nasr, accused of financing a terror network in Bethlehem; and Salam Yaish, accused of recruiting terror operatives for attacks. The Shin Bet and IDF said they view "very seriously" the freedom of action Hamas enjoys in Turkey, and vowed to keep working to thwart threats and protect Israel's security.