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A Palestinian man living in Israel illegally, suspected of involvement in last month’s bus bombing attempts in Bat Yam and Holon, was found working at a branch of the Golda ice cream chain in Bat Yam and was arrested there days after the attacks, Israeli police said.
The suspect has been held under administrative detention for about a month. He was employed at the shop without proper permits, unsupervised, and paid in cash, police said. The ice cream shop was closed shortly after his arrest by order of Tel Aviv District Police Commander Maj. Gen. Chaim Sargrof and reopened Thursday, only to be shut down again by police later in the day.
Police have requested that a Tel Aviv court extend the closure order on the branch, located on Ben-Gurion Street and operated under a franchise agreement. According to court filings, officers visited the shop four days after the bus explosions and found the suspect alone at the scene.
The investigation also revealed the man had worked there for about a month. Police said this was not the first time the franchise owner had employed individuals without legal status and had previously been questioned over similar violations.
“The respondent employed an illegal resident and provided him with a substantial source of income, despite the fact that he poses a clear threat to national security and is currently under administrative detention,” Sargrof wrote in the closure request. “The respondent acted illegally, driven by cynical economic motives and blatant disregard for the public interest, especially at a time when the State of Israel is fighting for its existence.”
No injuries were reported in the coordinated bombing attempt, which involved four explosive devices planted on buses in the Tel Aviv suburb of Bat Yam and nearby Holon. Three of the devices detonated on empty buses parked in Bat Yam. A fourth was discovered and neutralized near Wolfson Medical Center in Holon.
The unexploded device weighed about 5 kilograms (11 pounds) and bore a message in Arabic reading “Revenge from Tulkarem.” Hamas’s military wing in Tulkarem later suggested responsibility, citing Israeli military activity in the area.
A gag order placed on the case was lifted in recent days. Security forces are continuing to search for additional suspects.
Earlier this month, Israeli prosecutors indicted Rubin Dadbayev for assisting the bomber, who entered Israel illegally and arranged for transportation to Ariel on the day of the attack. According to the indictment, the bomber initially contacted another individual to drive him, but that person referred him to Dadbayev. The two allegedly met in Bat Yam, and Dadbayev drove the man toward Ariel and later to another West Bank location in exchange for payment.
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The suspect allegedly changed clothes before the trip to avoid detection due to explosive residue. Dadbayev told investigators he believed the man was a Jaffa resident and spoke Hebrew with an accent.
In response to the investigation, Golda said in a statement that franchisees are solely responsible for hiring decisions. “According to the information provided by the franchisee, the employee worked for a few weeks and presented a blue Israeli ID card,” the company said. “To our knowledge, the police investigation is still ongoing. If misconduct is found, the chain will take firm action.”