Four Palestinians indicted for supporting Islamic State

East Jerusalem residents attempted to travel to Turkey to join jihadist group, according to indictment

By ToI Staff 25 March 2016, 12:20 pm

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Illustrative photo of Israeli security forces stopping a Palestinian man at the entrance to the Shuafat refugee camp in East Jerusalem, on December 2, 2015. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

Four Palestinians from East Jerusalem are indicted on suspicion of attempting to join the Islamic State jihadist group.

According to the indictment, filed by state prosecutors Friday in the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court, the four, all men in the 20s, had organized a pro-IS “study group” that met regularly and planned terror attacks against Israelis.

They face charges of membership in and support for a terror group, and prosecutors are seeking a remand until the conclusion of the proceedings against them.

At least two of the four were caught trying to leave Israel for Turkey in an effort to join IS.

In a separate case, prosecutors filed indictments Friday in the Jerusalem District Court against seven East Jerusalem Palestinians, all aged 17 to 21, who are suspected of planning attacks against Israeli security forces.

Among the charges in the indictment are weapons smuggling, conspiracy to commit a crime and membership in a terror organization.

In the nearly six months of Palestinian terrorism and violence since October 2015, 29 Israelis and four foreign nationals have been killed. About 190 Palestinians have also been killed, some two-thirds of them while attacking Israelis, and the rest during clashes with troops, according to the Israeli army.