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A northern Israel man was charged on Sunday with planning a shooting attack targeting police officers and Jewish civilians in Jerusalem's Old City during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The Haifa District Attorney’s Office filed an indictment against Odae Mobarsham, a resident of the Arab town of Jadeidi-Makr in Western Galilee, accusing him of planning the attack as an "expression of solidarity with the Palestinian cause." Prosecutors say Mobarsham intended to carry out the attack at Damascus Gate using an illegally obtained firearm.
According to a joint statement from police and the Shin Bet security agency, Mobarsham was arrested last month by officers from the Crime Fighting Unit (YALP) and Special Patrol Unit (Yasam). Investigators determined that he had acquired a firearm, trained with it and attempted to recruit others to join him in the attack. The weapon was later found in the possession of his brother, who has also been charged for assisting in hiding it.
A senior Shin Bet official described the arrest as a “significant counterterrorism success,” emphasizing that had the attack been carried out during Ramadan, it could have led to a “dangerous escalation” in Jerusalem at a time of heightened security tensions.
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“The Shin Bet and Israeli police view any involvement of Israeli citizens in activities that threaten national security with the utmost severity,” the statement said. “We will continue working with law enforcement agencies to ensure that those involved are brought to justice.”
The arrest comes amid a particularly sensitive period as Ramadan—a time of heightened religious fervor—coincides with ongoing security concerns following over a year of war and instability. While Israel has recorded a decline in attacks in recent weeks, officials remain on high alert due to increased weapons smuggling into Palestinian territories, economic strains in the West Bank and the recent release of convicted terrorists as part of the hostage deal with Hamas.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Security Cabinet approved a limited entry permit for Palestinian worshippers from the West Bank to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem on Fridays during Ramadan. The Prime Minister’s Office said that the restrictions are in line with those enforced in previous years.