Shin Bet Chief's Claims of Bedouin Terror Units in Negev Dismissed by Police

A senior police official has publicly questioned claims made by Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) chief David Zini regarding the existence of military-style terror units and infrastructure within the Bedouin population in the Negev desert. The police official, speaking anonymously to ynet, expressed bewilderment at Zini's statements, asserting that neither the Southern District police nor Shin Bet liaisons working with the district are aware of such intelligence. "It is unclear where the Shin Bet chief got this information from," the senior official stated, adding that if such intelligence exists, it should be shared with the police to enable action. "One cannot throw such a statement into the air, create panic, and then have no one on the ground who is supposed to deal with the phenomenon recognize the information it is based on," he added.

Zini's remarks were reportedly made during a cabinet meeting on Monday that discussed terror threats from Gaza and the West Bank. He stated that there are locations within the Bedouin population with military infrastructure and attempts to establish "military-like battalions," describing the phenomenon as "very worrying." Zini also noted that these infrastructures are "constantly being thwarted" and that the Bedouin residents establishing these units have a "worrying connection" to terror organizations like Hamas, partly due to marriages with women from Gaza and the West Bank.