BICOM

Israeli security forces have arrested a total of 14 people in connection with the bus bomb which exploded less than two weeks ago in the Tel Aviv suburb of Bat Yam.

Serious injuries and casualties in the 22 December bombing  were averted thanks to the vigilance of a passenger who spotted a suspicious unattended bag aboard the 240 bus and alerted the driver, who called the police. Minutes later, the bomb exploded, charring the bus and lightly injuring a police patrolwoman who helped evacuate the bus.

News of the arrests was cleared for publication yesterday. The four main protagonists, all from Bethlehem, were named as Yosef Salamah, 22, Sami Harimi, 20 and brothers Sahaha Tamari, 24, Hamadi Tamari, 21 who have both served time in Israeli prisons. All are thought to have links to Islamic Jihad, while Salamah is a Palestinian Authority (PA) police officer.

Salamah and the Tamari brothers apparently constructed the bomb, including about 2kg of explosives and a large amount of nails packed inside a pressure cooker. Meanwhile, Harimi was transported by Bedouin Israeli acquaintances from the West Bank to Jaffa, where he prayed at a local mosque before boarding the 240 bus. He then alighted before detonating the bomb via a remote mobile phone. The Bedouin Israelis involved are thought to have been unaware of the plan to launch a terror attack.

Harimi was arrested on 26 December and admitted during interrogation his intention to carry out an additional, larger attack in the Tel Aviv area. Police also uncovered around 20kg of explosives near Hamadi Tamari’s home. Israel’s police emphasised that the investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are expected.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the security forces for their swift action and noted, “One of the members of the cell was a policeman in the Palestinian police… This is another proof to the direct involvement of the Palestinian Authority in terror.” He added that it was time PA President Abbas “led his people to peace.”