More than 70 terror cells busted in last 2 months, Netanyahu says
Speaking before weekly cabinet meeting, prime minister says public isn't aware of everything security services do
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that dozens of terror plots were stopped in the past two months by the Shin Bet domestic security service.
“In July and August, the Shin Bet thwarted over 70 terrorist cells that were planning attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians,” Netanyahu said before the weekly cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem. “Israeli civilians don’t know everything that the Shin Bet does.”
He did not elaborate on the nature of the attacks or how many arrests were made. The Shin Bet confirmed the number but declined to offer details.
The security service regularly makes announcements of arrests and foiled terror plots in Israel and the West Bank, though it often waits until charges are filed to confirm arrests.
Last week the agency said in its monthly report that it had recorded 110 terror attacks in August compared to 222 the previous month, when tensions around the Temple Mount compound in Jerusalem generated a major spike in incidents.
The decrease brought the number of attacks back to a level similar to before the July conflagration, which resulted in the highest number of incidents in any month since December 2015. From January 2016 onward, Israel saw an average of 121 attacks against its citizens per month.
Mexican aid
The prime minister also offered condolences to the families of those who died in the 8.1-magnitude earthquake that struck Mexico Thursday night, previewing his trip to Latin American slated to begin Sunday evening.
“We understand that these are difficult days for this country, for the Mexican people. In my talks with the President of Mexico, we will offer aid in reconstruction or any other assistance that we can give,” he said.
Earlier Sunday the Foreign Ministry said that Israel will send aid to Mexico for assistance in the two worst-hit states of Oaxaca and Chiapas, where at least 65 people were killed. The aid will be distributed during Netanyahu’s time in the country.
Netanyahu, who also holds the position of foreign minister, is also set to visit Colombia and Argentina. The four-day trip marks the first time a sitting Israeli prime minister will go to Latin America.
He will then head to New York, where he will address the United Nations General Assembly, and is expected to meet with US President Donald Trump.
Judah Ari Gross and Raphael Ahren contributed to this report.
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