Israel claims to have thwarted a recent attempt by Hamas to carry out a suicide bombing in Israel, which was organized by members of the group in Turkey.

According to the Shin Bet intelligence agency, on March 15, Anas Shurman, a Palestinian originally from the West Bank city of Tulkarem but residing in Jordan, was arrested in Nablus for his suspected involvement in the bombing plot.

The agency says that during his interrogation it was revealed that in December 2023, he was recruited by Imad Abid, a Hamas operative living in Turkey who is also from the West Bank.

Shurman agreed to carry out a suicide bombing in Israel on behalf of Hamas, Shin Bet reports.

Sin Bet It says that as part of the plans before the attack, the would-be suicide bomber filmed his will, took lessons on the motorcycle he would use in the attack and received money and instructions to carry out the bombing, according to which he would collect the explosive device from a hidden location in the West Bank.

The large cluster bomb, weighing approximately 12 kilograms, was seized by the Shin Bet from a source on the West Bank, the security service reports. Written instructions on how to carry out the attack were found next to the bomb.

Additional Hamas members involved in the scheme were also arrested, with Shin Bet saying they were part of a terrorist network in Nablus.

The agency says these Hamas members were involved in building the bomb and sponsoring Shurman.

Schurman was charged with several serious security offences, including “attempted intentional infliction of death” – the equivalent of attempted murder under martial law – as well as membership of a terrorist group.

Five more Nablus residents were charged with the same crimes, Shin Bet reports.

The intelligence agency says that its investigation “revealed an entrenchment of Hamas in Turkey and the involvement of its members in organizing terrorist attacks in Israel.”