PNP uncovers Hamas plot to attack Israelis in PH

PNP Headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City. (Photo from the PNP Facebook page)

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police on Tuesday bared that it has uncovered attempts by the Palestinian militant group Hamas to wage a proxy war by recruiting Filipinos to carry out attacks against Israeli nationals in the country.

The conspiracy was disclosed from the information revealed by a local contact of Hamas, according to a report of Police Brig. Gen. Neil Alinsangan, chief of PNP Intelligence Group, to Maj. Gen. John Dubria, PNP director for intelligence.

“Our Filipino source identified the Hamas operative as ‘Bashir’ who was reportedly attempting to establish foothold in the Philippines with pledges of financial support to some local threat groups including militant extremists with links to the international terrorist organizations,” Alinsangan said in his report.

With coordination with foreign intelligence, police intelligence found that Bashir’s real name was Fares al Shikli, who is allegedly the head of Hamas’ foreign liaison section. Alinsangan said he had a Red notice issued by the Interpol and was charged with an offense of “terrorism logistic support.”

Intel report

According to the intelligence report, the source said he made several trips from 2016 to 2018 in Malaysia, where he met with Fares al Shikli to discuss the possibility of mounting an attack against Israeli nationals in the Philippines in exchange for financial assistance by Hamas.

It was in 2016 that Fares Al Shikli started grooming him as a local contact in the country and introduced to him theoretical bomb-making training in one of their meetings in Malaysia.

In late 2017, Fares Al Shikli expressed his intention with the source to recruit Filipinos with links to local threat groups that would be utilized to kill Jews present in the country, conduct rallies at selected embassies and spread video propaganda in exchange for financial support.

Prior to the pandemic, Israel was the second-largest tourism market of the Philippines in the Middle East next to Saudi Arabia. In 2019, a total of 22,851 Israelis visited the country, according to the Department of Tourism.

Not the 1st time

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has yet to comment on the PNP’s intelligence report.

“This is a stern warning to all terrorist groups who plan to conduct recruitment and similar activities in the country, we have a way to know you and you cannot do your plans here because the PNP and AFP, through the active support of the community, are working together to preempt your devious plans,” Alinsangan said in a statement.

This was not the first time that Hamas has attempted to stage their activities in the country, according to the PNP.

In January 2018, a chemist with knowledge on explosives closely affiliated with Hamas was arrested in Pampanga. He was then deported to Turkey by the Bureau of Immigration.

Hamas is a militant movement and one of the Palestinian territories’ two major political parties (the other one, being Fatah) and known for its armed resistance against Israel.

It was founded in December 1987 following the outbreak of the first intifada, a Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

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