The Israeli military announced it thwarted an attack in Jenin that was reportedly planned for Thursday morning during the inauguration of the "Ganim" settlement in the northern West Bank, an event attended by Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, along with several other ministers, Knesset members, and Israeli officials.
Three-Member Cell in Jenin
According to Channel 14 in Israel, a cell comprising three armed individuals was planning to execute an attack at the "Ganim" settlement inauguration ceremony.
As per the Israeli account, forces carried out the arrests overnight at three separate locations in Jenin, where the cell members were present, and they were apprehended without resistance.
The channel reported the operation was conducted quietly to prevent the cell members from escaping or resisting the raiding forces.
The nature of the alleged attack, or the weapons and means purportedly intended for use, remain undisclosed in the released information.
Katz and Officials at the Ceremony
Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, alongside prominent Israeli figures such as Minister Shlomo Karhi, Knesset member Yuli Edelstein, and Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan were expected to attend the settlement inauguration ceremony.
Channel 14 noted that Border Police Commander Brigadier General Brick Yitzhak, West Bank Border Police Commander Brigadier General Niso Guita, and the commander of the elite "Yamam" unit were part of the command room during the critical minutes of the arrest.
No official statements from Israeli authorities suggest that the cell intended to personally assassinate Katz. Instead, the attack was allegedly aimed at the inauguration ceremony in which the minister and other Israeli officials were to participate.
The operation occurs amid ongoing security tensions in Jenin and the northern West Bank, and there are no additional details yet released regarding the identities of those arrested or the organizations they are accused of being affiliated with.