Alleged Temple Mount Bombing and Shooting Plot Disclosed

An alleged plan to carry out a bombing followed by a shooting at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem was disclosed on Wednesday evening, November 4. A 19-year-old resident of Beit Hanina in East Jerusalem is suspected of preparing the attack, according to an account of a joint police and Shin Bet investigation. The reported plan was to leave a bag containing explosives at Lions’ Gate and, after the explosion, enter the Temple Mount and shoot civilians and police officers. Investigators reportedly obtained an admission from the suspect, whose account described an intention to kill large numbers of people and then escape. The alleged preparations included studying security cameras and the deployment of security forces during Friday prayers, downloading instructions for making explosives, and searching the darknet for weapons sellers. The account also described training at a martial-arts gym in Issawiya so he could fight with his hands if the planned attack failed. Acquaintances reportedly described conversations in which he spoke about dying as a martyr and wearing an explosive belt, and requests for help making explosives. The suspect’s reported account linked his decision to footage of the October 7 massacre and his own claimed religious motivation. These details describe allegations emerging from the investigation, rather than a finding of guilt.