Police added that the investigation revealed that Gergawi had been in contact with ISIS activists and consumed related terror content, as well as planning to join the organization in Syria.
The State Attorney’s Office filed an indictment with the Beersheba District Court on Tuesday against Abdullah Gergawi, 20, from the Bedouin town of Segev Shalom, Israel Police announced on Tuesday morning.
Gergawi was arrested on July 19 on suspicion of having contact with a foreign agent, possessing weapons, and planning to carry out a terror attack near the Forum Club in Beersheba.
Police said that Gergawi had intended to use a booby-trapped vehicle to target the nightclub.
It added that the investigation revealed that Gergawi had been in contact with ISIS activists and consumed related terror content, as well as planning to join the organization in Syria.
Israel Police arrest Abdullah Gergawi, 20, from the Bedouin town of Shaqib al-Salam, August 18, 2026. (CREDIT: ISRAEL POLICE SPOKESPERSON’S UNIT)
Gergawi’s actions ‘do not represent Segev Shalom residents’
Segev Shalom Local Council Head Abu Ma’mar Qa’id condemned “any act of violence or attempt to harm public security and the citizens of the State of Israel” in a Tuesday statement.
“We are citizens of the State of Israel, and we all have the responsibility to respect the law and act to maintain security, public order, and the shared life between Arabs and Jews,” he said, affirming that the local council is working with relevant authorities to prevent such incidents from recurring.
“For the sake of fairness, it is important to emphasize that this is one of the best and most respected families in the community,” he said. “The actions of a single person do not represent his family and do not represent all the residents of Segev Shalom.”