Israeli Authorities Indict Four Negev Youths for Planned Shooting Attack in Beersheba Bus Station

The Southern District Prosecutor's Office has filed an indictment against four young men from the Negev, residents of Segev Shalom and the Bedouin diaspora, accusing them of planning a terror attack at the central bus station in Beersheba. The indictment, submitted to the Beersheba District Court, charges them with conspiracy to commit a terror act, terror training, and for the main suspect, incitement to terror and identification with a terror organization. Some of the alleged offenses were committed while the suspects were minors.

According to the indictment, the main suspect managed a public Instagram account where he posted and shared content supporting and praising terror organizations such as Hamas, Al-Qassam Brigades, and other jihadist groups. The posts included footage from the October 7 attacks, images and videos of terrorists, praise for militants and senior Hamas figures, and calls for armed struggle and martyrdom.

The indictment states that in response to Israeli security operations in Gaza and the West Bank, the main suspect and another planned an attack at the Beersheba bus station. Initially, they intended a stabbing attack but later shifted to planning a shooting attack using firearms, also targeting police stations.

The main suspect is also accused of founding a terror organization that began forming after the 2021 "Guardian of the Walls" events. This group aimed to act against Israeli security forces using weapons or explosives, motivated by ideological-nationalist reasons. The suspect created social media groups to spread jihadist content, including instructions for making explosives, recruited the other defendants, assigned them roles and nicknames, and declared himself the group's commander.

One defendant, labeled the "engineer," downloaded a practical bomb-making guide video to his phone. The investigation was conducted by the Southern District's Counterterrorism Unit in cooperation with the Shin Bet. The prosecution emphasized that the indictment reflects its claims only, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.