Police Foil Assassination Attempt by Armed Gang in Northern Israel

Israeli police have thwarted an assassination attempt by arresting four suspects believed to be part of an armed cell linked to the Hariri crime organization. The operation, a joint effort by the Coastal District Police's special investigations unit (YAMAR Hof) and the National Fraud Unit (YAHBAL Lahav 433), occurred after authorities tracked the suspects' movement from central Israel northward.

Investigators had been monitoring the group for several days based on intelligence information. When the suspects' movement was identified, detectives from YAMAR Hof initiated a preemptive arrest to prevent the suspected plot from being carried out. During the arrest, three suspects, masked and carrying M16 rifles equipped with silencers, were apprehended. Police suspect the group was preparing to carry out a targeted killing.

The four arrested individuals include three residents of Shfaram in their 20s and one resident of Abteen in his 40s. They have been transferred to YAMAR Hof for interrogation, and authorities are expected to request an extension of their detention from the Haifa Magistrate's Court. The investigation is ongoing, with police examining the circumstances of the group's organization and the suspicions against those involved. At this stage, the individuals are considered suspects only, and the investigation is not yet complete.