Shin Bet uncovered and thwarted a Lebanon-linked terror cell in the West Bank, arresting five operatives. The cell was planning an attack, with ties to Hamas and Hezbollah.
The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) thwarted a Lebanon-linked terror cell operating in the West Bank, a Shin Bet spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday.
The terror cell had been tasked to photograph a settlement in the northern West Bank, and conducted firearms training for a planned shooting terror attack, the Shin Bet noted.
One of the terrorists, Muhammad Sidka, was a resident of the northern West Bank who the Shin Bet arrested in October under suspicion of planning an attack.
During the Shin Bet’s interrogation, they revealed that Sidka traveled to Lebanon, where he was contacted by a handler from another terror cell who recruited him to carry out terror operations in the West Bank and recruit cells to operate across the region.
Sidka returned to the West Bank via Jordan and recruited additional terror operatives, including Muhammad Khalil from Ramallah and Muhammad Barhamah from Anza. Both Khalil and Barhamah were also arrested by the Shin Bet for interrogation.
A communications profile used by Lebanon-linked West Bank terrorists, published on February 10, 2026. (credit: SHIN BET)
During interrogation, the Shin Bet agents also discovered that Sidka maintained communication with the Lebanese terror cell via social media and gaming apps until his October arrest.
Additionally, the Shin Bet uncovered another terror cell handled by the same Lebanese terror network. This led to the arrest of two residents of a village in the northern West Bank who are both in their 20s.
The investigation into these two terrorists uncovered that they were recruited by a Lebanese terrorist named Majed, who was assisted by other Lebanese terror operatives named “Abu Ahmad” and “Abu Wahid,” who managed the communications within the terror network via social media messaging.
As part of the recruitment process, these two terrorists from the northern West Bank village underwent firearms training for an attack, and were given instructions to photograph an Israeli settlement in the region, and were promised funds to purchase weapons.
Terror cell chief discovered with ties to Hamas, Hezbollah
The Shin Bet, as part of their investigations and intelligence-gathering operations, discovered that the network leader was Majed Dasha, a Lebanese national with ties to both Hamas and Hezbollah terror groups.
Indictments have been filed against the five West Bank-based operatives, Shin Bet confirmed.