An Arab Israeli man who was allegedly behind the deadly twin terror bombings in Jerusalem last month has been arrested, the Shin Bet security agency and Israel Police said Tuesday.
The terrorist, 26-year-old Islam Froukh from eastern Jerusalem but who spends much of his time in the West Bank city of Ramallah, exploded two bombs near two entrances to the capital, killing a 17-year-old dual Israeli-Canadian citizen and a 50-year-old father of six, and wounding 20 more.
Froukh is affiliated with the Islamic State terror group and was found with materials related to radical Islam, the Shin Bet said, adding that he had acted alone.
A recent graduate in mechanical engineering from an Israeli institution of higher education, the suspect taught himself to make the bombs using online guides.
Froukh had been identified by fingerprints which were found on the explosive devices, the Shin Bet said.
He had planted a third bomb, which he intended to detonate after security forces and medical personnel had arrived at the scene, but it had malfunctioned.
A damaged bus is seen as security forces inspect the area after two separate explosions that took place near the bus stop and at least 14 people were injured in West Jerusalem on November 23, 2022. The police suspect that the perpetrator arrived on an electric bike and placed the explosive device. (Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
He had plotted every aspect of the attack for weeks in advance, traveling by electric scooter at 6am to plant the bombs and fleeing afterward to a cave in the Judean Desert, where he had stashed a change of clothes, stored food, water, and weapons. The scooter was later found along with clothes and five pipe bombs, and those items led to his arrest.
More explosives and a makeshift submachine gun were found in the cave, indicating that he had planned further attacks, the Shin Bet said.
The suspect is expected to be charged with murder and acts of terrorism in the next few days.
During his interrogation, Froukh allegedly cited “Islam” as his motivation for carrying out the attack.
Outgoing Prime Minister Yair Lapid hailed Froukh’s capture, saying Israel would reach “any terrorist or terror group.”
“I congratulate the Shin Bet, the police, the IDF and all the security forces for the investigation that led to the capture of the terrorist,” he said in a statement.
“As we promised — we got to him. Israel will reach any terrorist who harms its citizens, and will deal with them with the full severity of the law,” he added.
“I send condolences, on my behalf and on behalf of the Government of Israel, to the families of young Aryeh Shechopek and Tadasa Tashume, who were murdered in the double bombing, may their memories be for a blessing,” he said of the Canadian teenaged victim and the father of six, who was an immigrant from Ethiopia.
The bombings came amid a Palestinian terror wave that has left 31 people dead.
During the hunt for Froukh, the Shin Bet discovered a close friend of his, 23-year-old Hamed Othman, was plotting a large-scale suicide bombing attack at Jerusalem’s Central Bus Station.
Othman was arrested several weeks ago and indicted today.
Two U.S. citizens living in Israel, one of whom is an international law professor, were arrested in connection to the plot. The Shin Bet found that they had shared radical Islamist material with Othman. Both men were deported to the U.S., the Shin Bet said in a statement.