What we know about alleged Iran weapons plot in West Bank
Israel said that Iran’s IRGC was working to smuggle explosives into the Palestinian territory.
Israel thwarted plans to smuggle weapons from Iran into the West Bank, authorities said on Monday, as tensions in the Palestinian territory remain high.
What happened: Israel’s internal security agency, the Shin Bet, and the Israeli military said that Iranian security forces have been working in recent months to smuggle Iranian-made explosive devices, including mines, into the West Bank for use against Israeli targets. Unit 400, a special operations division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence organization, and Unit 18440, the special operations division of the IRGC Quds Force in Syria, were behind the effort, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.
The Shin Bet posted a video on Instagram showing various Iranian explosive devices it said were seized.
The IDF added that investigations following the arrest of Palestinians who were allegedly plotting attacks revealed that Munir Makdah, a resident of the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, is working to recruit people to carry out attacks, smuggle Iranian weapons and transfer funds in the West Bank. Makdah works with both the IRGC and the Lebanese military organization Hezbollah and continues to plot operations, according to the spokesperson.
