Israel foiled a Hamas plot to assassinate Minister Ben Gvir

Israel's internal security service, Shin Bet, announced that it had foiled a plot by a Hamas group in the West Bank to assassinate National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir using drones loaded with explosives.

According to the official statement, the suspects — members of a terrorist movement cell based in Hebron — were arrested in recent weeks in a joint security forces operation.

During the raids, several drones that the suspects had allegedly acquired with the intention of arming them with explosives and using them in the assassination attempt were seized.

The case illustrates Hamas's growing sophistication in its attempts to attack Israeli targets, resorting to civilian-use technologies, such as commercial drones, to turn them into weapons. It also reflects the terrorist organization's ongoing effort to expand its operations beyond Gaza and strengthen its presence in the West Bank.

Israeli authorities emphasized that Shin Bet's swift action prevented a greater tragedy and constitutes further evidence of the persistent threat that Hamas poses not only to the Israeli civilian population, but also to members of the government itself.

Israel has reinforced security measures around senior public officials in recent months, given evidence that Hamas is seeking to shift the center of its operations to the West Bank, where it is attempting to recruit local cells to carry out high-impact attacks.