An operation of the GSS in collaboration with the central unit of Jerusalem Police has led to the arrest a month ago of Mohammad Fawaz Ibrahim Joulani, an Israeli resident living in the Shuafat refugee camp, on suspicion of plotting serious terror attacks, the GSS revealed in a statement Tuesday morning.
Joulani’s interrogation revealed that the man, a member of Hamas, has committed to carry out attacks for Hamas officials in Gaza with whom he was communicating over the Internet. Joulani was asked to recruit more activists and shared with his operators in Gaza the names of a few individuals.
The Joulani interrogation revealed he and his Hamas bosses considered the following violations:
1. Kalashnikov shooting attack at the Hizmah checkpoint.
2. Integrated bomb attack at a Jerusalem store where he had worked in 2011.
3. Throwing a pipe bomb at a checkpoint in the Shuafat refugee camp.
4. Bomb attacks in central areas of Jerusalem such as the central bus station or the Malha Mall, which were rejected due to increased security in these locations.
Finally they decided on a suicide bombing in a bus at the Pisgat Zeev neighborhood near Joulani’s home.
Joulani was directed to collect a large quantity of materials he would use to produce explosives, as well as nails, batteries and other components for an improvised explosive device. Joulani turned in his stash after his arrest.
Joulani was told that the date for his suicide bombing would be the Holiday of the Sacrifice, which fell on Sept. 12-15 2016. The date was picked so that the attack would not result in the closing off of the Temple Mount to Muslim worshipers.
Joulani was sent to Hebron to pick up about 7,000 shekels (about $1,845) to finance his attack. He wrote a will and scanned it, but was unable to email it to his operators due to technical failure.
The interrogation has also revealed that Joulani had planned to carry out a knife attack in Pisgat Zeev last year, but had a change of heart because he became concerned that his parents’ home would be demolished as punishment.
The GSS also picked up Joulani’s relatives Mohammad Robin Joulani and Iyad Joulani, who admitted to concealing weapons.
The GSS investigation exposed the ongoing effort on the part of Hamas in Gaza to initiate serious attacks in Israel, using Israeli residents with an easy access in and out of the green line.