Israel's internal intelligence agency, the Shin Bet, has pointed to Turkey this Sunday as a refuge for Hamas cells dedicated to designing and executing attacks against Israeli forces in the occupied territories of the West Bank, operating without hindrance from Turkish security forces.
In a joint statement released this Sunday, the Shin Bet and the Israeli Army have made public the results of an investigation carried out over the past year, in which they claim to have thwarted "dozens of plans to attack in the West Bank" that were coordinated by "Hamas operatives in Turkey."
According to the Army's version, these Hamas operatives "carry out their activities unhindered from Turkish territory" and rely on "the country's infrastructure to transfer instructions and funds" to militants deployed in the West Bank.
In its statement, the Shin Bet identifies several Hamas members based in Turkey who would form part of the so-called Hamas Headquarters in the West Bank, a structure of the group considered responsible for planning attacks against Israel from or in that territory.
"Over the years, and with greater intensity during the past year, operatives of the so-called Hamas Headquarters in the West Bank have been directing and promoting extensive military activity in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) and Israel from Turkish territory, including the recruitment of operatives to carry out attacks and the transfer of weapons and funds to the area to promote military activity," the agency states.
According to the Shin Bet, senior Hamas official Zaher Jabarin coordinates the movement's operations in the West Bank from Istanbul, while another prominent leader, Ayman Abu Jalil, would be in charge of the military wing in that territory.