Isis terrorist plotted to poison Sea of Galilee, Israeli police say

A 22-year-old Arab from Baqa al-Gharbiya in central Israel has been charged with planning to poison the Sea of Galilee as part of an Isis plot, Israeli police said on Thursday.

Fahmi Kittani, who allegedly declared his allegiance to the terror group in 2015, planned various attacks, including assaults on IDF soldiers and suicide bombings, according to the indictment.

Kittani allegedly immersed himself in Isis ideology, actively participating in and distributing extreme content through Telegram channels associated with the terror group. In February, he allegedly circulated execution videos amongst his contacts, threatening similar actions against Jews.

Further investigations were said to have uncovered communications where Kittani expressed admiration for the killing of IDF soldiers and discussed plans for future attacks with accomplices Akram Ammar and Bilal Nasasra.

The trio are accused of planning to poison the Sea of Galilee – Israel’s primary freshwater source – by placing an animal carcass in one of the pumping stations. It is said they also attempted, unsuccessfully, to manufacture explosives based on instructions communicated through Isis networks. The prosecution has requested that Kittani remain in custody until the conclusion of his trial.

This indictment coincides with a broader crackdown on Isis-inspired terrorist activities in the Jewish state.

In recent months, security forces have foiled an Isis-inspired plot near the Knesset, as well as dismantled a terror cell associated with the terror group in Tarqumiyah, near Hebron. The Judea cell had successfully produced over 100 explosive devices.

In early April, four residents of eastern Jerusalem were charged after planning an attack on a police station.

Earlier this year, Isis spokesman Abu Huthaifa al-Ansari published a speech where he called on supporters around the world to attack Jews and avenge the deaths of Hamas terrorists in Gaza.