The State Attorney's Office has indicted five Israeli men from the Arab city of Taibeh, accusing them of plotting to bomb Tel Aviv’s iconic Azrieli Towers in a car bomb attack inspired by the Islamic State group (IS).
The suspects, identified as Sajed Masarwa, 27; Abdullah Baransi, 26; Abed al-Karim Baransi, 27; Mahmoud Azzam, 24; and Ibrahim Sheikh Youssef, 34, allegedly swore allegiance to IS and conducted activities in its name since the war began last October.
Police arrest members of a suspected IS-inspired terror cell
(Video: Israel Police)
According to the indictment, the men consumed Islamic State propaganda on social media, expressed support for the terror group and studied materials on how to construct explosives. Ibrahim Sheikh Youssef, reportedly the plot's mastermind, declared his intent to target the Azrieli Towers after National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir suggested building a synagogue on the Temple Mount, a site sacred to Muslims as well.
The men are alleged to have communicated with IS supporters abroad and discussed their plans for a shooting attack against Israeli citizens, as well as their desire to die as martyrs. In June 2024, Sheikh Youssef decided to form a cell disguised as a religious study group, with the goal of executing terror attacks in Israel. Two of the accused reportedly concluded that a car bomb was the best method for attacking the Tel Aviv towers, based on IS video tutorials on bomb-making.
The indictment details that the men planned to park the car bomb in the underground garage of the Azrieli complex to cause maximum damage, with the blast intended to melt the building's support beams. Additionally, the group allegedly planned to film a claim of responsibility for the attack in IS's name and to acquire weapons to open fire on bystanders following the explosion.
In discussions between Azzam and Sheikh Youssef, they talked about building an explosive device containing 150 to 200 kilograms (330-440 pounds) of material, including hydrogen peroxide, to create a powerful blast. They also planned to use cooking gas canisters to increase the explosion’s intensity, with Sheikh Youssef claiming he had already obtained the necessary explosives.
The prosecution has requested that the suspects, all Israeli citizens, remain in custody for the duration of the legal proceedings. The indictment describes the five men as holding an extreme religious ideology aligned with IS, and accuses them of actively working toward violent attacks against Israeli civilians.
Allah Talawi, defense attorney for one of the suspects, Karim Baransi, argued that the indictment reflects only "a wish or a dream," and not a concrete plan for an attack.
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