Shin Bet uncovers West Bank-style terror cell in Negev as Bedouin group denies 'battalion' claims

The Shin Bet announced the discovery of a terrorist cell in the Bedouin town of Segev Shalom, modeled after West Bank battalions. Five suspects were arrested, including a cell leader, a would-be shooter, an explosives engineer, a minor ISIS supporter, and a participant in a planned police station attack. A separate plot to attack a Beersheba nightclub was also uncovered. The Regional Council for Unrecognized Villages in the Negev rejected the findings, accusing the Shin Bet of lying and racist incitement.

The Shin Bet announced on Thursday the discovery of a terrorist cell in the Bedouin community of Segev Shalom, near Beersheba, modeled after Palestinian battalions in the West Bank. Five suspects were arrested in May and June 2026. The cell leader recruited members and incited against Israel on social media. A second member agreed to carry out shootings at the Segev Shalom police station and Beersheba Central Bus Station. A third served as the group's explosives engineer. A fourth, a minor and ISIS supporter, planned an explosive attack and a stabbing in the terror group's name. A fifth expressed willingness to participate in an attack on the police station. Separately, the Shin Bet detailed a plot by Israeli citizen Abdullah Jarjawi to attack the Forum nightclub in Beersheba, who also maintained contact with ISIS operatives. All suspects were charged with terror offenses in Beersheba District Court. The Shin Bet stated that 72 residents of the South have been arrested since the beginning of 2026, 67 of them Israeli citizens, with 50 indicted. The Regional Council for Unrecognized Villages in the Negev (RCUVN) rejected the findings, accusing the Shin Bet of lying and racist incitement, and claimed only 5 of 36 detainees they checked faced security offenses. The RCUVN framed the issue as one of state discrimination against Bedouin society.