Released for publication: Israel has arrested and indicted a Gaza City terrorist who is part of a group linked with the Islamic State (ISIS) and who organized attacks against the IDF in last year’s anti-terror Protective Edge campaign.
The Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) lifted gag order on the arrest in late July of Ihab Sayeed Nahel, 27, and he was indicted on 12 counts of various charges, including being in contact with a foreign enemy, conspiracy to commit murder, and possessing and transferring illegal weapons.
A surgeon, who is a member of Hamas, gave Nahel safe harbor in his house while he carried out attacks against the IDF last year, including planting bombs on army patrol routes at the Gaza security fence.
The terrorist was arrested while trying to travel to Qatar, where he was supposed to work as a teacher as part of project to employ Gaza educators.
Nahel told interrogators that he began his career as a terrorist with Hamas, for whom he carried out surveillance on the IDF. He also helped dig tunnels used by terrorists to stage attacks.
Last year, he joined a terrorist Salafist faction linked with ISIS and known as “ARABIC.” It was part of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) which he led in 2010. The PRC is the same group that helped stage the murder of two Israeli soldiers and the kidnap of Gilad Shalit at a checkpoint nine years ago. The attack was carried out via a tunnel.
As leader of the PRC in 2012, he was involved in planning suicide attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians at the Egyptian border, and he used a tunnel to travel from Gaza to the Sinai.
Nahel had planned an attack on a bus near Eilat, but the plan never was carried out.
