Palestinian accused of planning to shoot police in Jerusalem

© Provided by The Times of Israel Omar Abedin, a Palestinian resident of East Jerusalem, suspected of planning a terror attack against Israeli forces in Jerusalem. (Shin Bet)

An East Jerusalem Palestinian was arrested on suspicion he was planning to carry out a shooting attack against a bus transporting policemen near the Temple Mount, the Shin Bet announced Sunday.

The security service, in coordination with police, said it had been investigating Omar Abedin, 21, for the past month after he was “suspected of being involved in security-related activities.”

Abedin is affiliated with Hamas, and was apparently involved in the terror group’s student organization at Bir Zeit University, near Ramallah, a Shin Bet statement said.

The suspect was allegedly in contact with a terrorist operative in Lebanon via Facebook, before the pair switched their communications to the more secure Telegram platform.

At some stage, Abedin was asked to carry out a shooting or bombing attack, in which he was told he would be assisted by terror groups operating in the West Bank.

“Omar agreed to carry out the attack and planned to target a bus carrying police officers in the Temple Mount area,” the statement said.

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began in March and will end April 21, often sees elevated Israeli-Palestinian tensions, with friction already high this year in Jerusalem and across the West Bank following months of deadly violence.

In recent years, Ramadan has seen violent clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinians at Jerusalem’s flashpoint Temple Mount, revered as holy by both Jews and Muslims.

Police were set to file an indictment against the suspect in the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court later on Sunday.

“The Shin Bet security service and the Israel Police will continue to take resolute measures to thwart terrorist intentions and to locate and expose connections that aim to carry out attacks by terrorists outside of Israel,” the statement said.

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