The ISA has revealed a series of terrorism investigations involving residents of Israel’s southern Negev region.
The ISA has revealed a series of terrorism investigations involving residents of Israel’s southern Negev region, including five Bedouin residents of Segev Shalom who allegedly planned to establish a local armed cell modeled on Palestinian terror battalions in Judea and Samaria.
According to the ISA, the five suspects were investigated in May and June 2026 over plans to carry out attacks against security forces, the police station in Segev Shalom, and the central bus station in Beersheba.
The investigations were part of a broader series of arrests carried out by the ISA since the beginning of the year over suspected security-related activity threatening the state.
According to figures released by the agency, 72 residents of the Negev and southern Israel have been detained for ISA questioning since the beginning of 2026. Sixty-seven of them are Israeli citizens holding blue identity cards, while indictments have been filed against approximately 50 of those detained.
The cases investigated included alleged plans to carry out terrorist attacks and smuggle weapons across Israel’s borders.
In the Segev Shalom case, the alleged leader of the group had reportedly worked for an extended period to establish what the suspects referred to as a "military battalion," inspired by Palestinian armed groups operating in Judea and Samaria and motivated by a Palestinian affiliation. The ISA said he also published anti-Israel material on social media and encouraged terrorist activity.
Another suspect allegedly agreed to carry out a shooting attack against the Segev Shalom police station, as well as a stabbing and shooting attack at the Beersheba central bus station. Investigators also found that he had watched videos in an attempt to learn how to manufacture explosive devices, according to the ISA.
A third suspect allegedly agreed to join the planned battalion as an "engineer" responsible for preparing explosives to be used against security forces.
Another, described as a young suspect, allegedly agreed to join the group while also planning an independent explosive attack after his release from detention. The ISA said his interrogation indicated that he supported the Islamic State and had spent approximately two years planning a stabbing attack in the name of the organization.
The fifth suspect allegedly agreed to join the planned battalion and expressed willingness to participate in an attack against the Segev Shalom police station.
In a separate investigation launched in July 2026, the ISA questioned Abdullah Jargjawi, an Israeli citizen from Segev Shalom. According to the agency, Jargjawi incited terrorism and planned to carry out an attack at the Forum nightclub in Beersheba.
The investigation also allegedly found that Jargjawi was in contact with Islamic State operatives and expressed an intention to travel abroad to join the organization’s fighting zones. He was also accused of identifying with terrorist organizations, including the Islamic State and Hamas.
Indictments have been filed in the Beersheba District Court against suspects involved in the various cases, charging them with serious terrorism offenses.
A senior ISA official said the investigations and arrests demonstrated the security threat posed by Israeli citizens establishing armed or semi-military cells seeking to carry out terrorist attacks inside Israel.
The official added that the planned activity was disrupted before the suspects could carry out their alleged plans through joint preventive operations by the ISA and Israel Police.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/434308
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