Inspired by Hamas, Arab-Israeli Man Planned Attack on Haifa Factory

Jerusalem, 1 February, 2024 (TPS) -- An Arab-Israeli man who planned to burn down a factory in the Haifa Bay area and one of the city’s police stations is in custody after initially being arrested for driving without a valid driver’s license, the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) announced on Thursday.

Razi Hamada, of the northern city of Shafaram in his 20s, was stopped by traffic police doing random checks on drivers several weeks ago and arrested for driving without a license in late December. He confessed to police that he planned to set fire to a factory in the area of Haifa’s chemical refineries, and also planned to torch a police station.

There are numerous refineries and petrochemical facilities in the area of Haifa Bay, where much of Israel’s plastics are produced. In mid-January, Hezbollah chief Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah claimed Iran-backed militias in Iraq fired a cruise missile at the Haifa port. In 2022, the Israeli government approved a plan to phase out the industrial zone for safety reasons.

Hamada told interrogators he identified with Hamas. The Shin Bet said Hamada worked alone and did not receive any support from the terror group.

The Shin Bet added that Hamada was radicalized by Arab news broadcasts, particularly Al Jazeera’s coverage of the war in Gaza.

Hamada was previously arrested in December for throwing a firebomb at a police station in Shafaram. He had also participated in Palestinian disturbances on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount.

An indictment was filed on Thursday in Haifa District Court.