Itamar Ben-Gvir heads one of two hardline religious-nationalist parties in Israel’s ruling coalition [GETTY]
Three Palestinians have been charged over allegedly plotting to kill Israeli far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and his son.
The prime suspect, Ismail Ibrahim Avadi, was accused of spying on the minister and his 18-year-old son, Shoval, with the intent of killing them after setting up a “military cell”, Israeli police and the Shin Bet security service said in a joint statement.
The other two suspects have not been named.
The statement says that in June, Avadi made contact with “various entities with the goal of establishing a military cell, to obtain weapons and make explosive devices with the aim of harming security forces personnel.”
He allegedly tried to raise funds and secure training for his cell and approached Hamas and Hezbollah for aid.
Israeli Ynet News reported that the suspect “conducted surveillance on Ben-Gvir and his son, monitoring their travel routes, vehicles and security arrangements”.
“One scenario considered was attacking Ben-Gvir upon his arrival at a terror scene, a routine part of his ministerial duties,” the report added.
The minister has since spoken out about the alleged plot, writing: “I will continue to work for the State of Israel – no terrorist will deter me,” on X.
This is reportedly the third assassination plot on the minister, with Shin Bet having uncovered another plot in 2022.
As national security minister, Ben-Gvir has attempted to further advance his far-right pro-settler stance and has been a keen supporter of continued war in Gaza, where Israel has killed over 44,000 Palestinians since 7 October last year.
The minister heads one of two hardline religious-nationalist parties in Netanyahu’s coalition and has advocated for annexing the occupied West Bank.
Ben-Gvir has led several settler raids on the Al-Aqsa mosque and has said that a Jewish temple will be built on the Muslim holy site.
In January, the United States rejected Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s statements advocating for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza.
