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Tel Aviv [Israel], December 31 (ANI/TPS): More than 1,000 terror attacks inside Israel were thwarted in 2024, the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) disclosed in its annual report released on Tuesday. The year also saw a surge in cyberattacks, as well as hostage rescue missions in Gaza, and special operations in Jenin and Lebanon.
Notable operations included the rescue of hostages and the retrieval of abductees' bodies for proper burial. Israeli operations have rescued eight hostages alive and recovered 28 bodies from Gaza. Since Hamas's October 7 attack, cyberattacks on Israel increased five times, the Shin Bet said. Collaborating with the military and the National Cyber Directorate, the Shin Bet thwarted 700 attacks. Of those 66 per cent attempted to gather information or spy on Israelis, 32 per cent sought to damage cyber networks, and the remaining 2 per cent were described as psy-ops, such as phishing attempts. The agency thwarted 1,040 terror attacks, primarily in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. The figure included 689 shooting attacks, 326 attacks involving explosive devices, 13 stabbings, nine car-rammings, two suicide bombings and one kidnapping. Despite the rise in thwarted attacks, overall incidents in the region decreased by 40 per cent, which the Shin Bet attributed to enhanced intelligence and operational coordination with the army and other security agencies. In the Gaza Strip, Shin Bet operations led to the detention of over 1,350 individuals during raids. This figure included 40 senior operatives and commanders, 165 close associates of senior leaders, and around 100 other individuals suspected of having information concerning the hostages. Interrogations of 650 detainees yielded what the Shin Bet said was actionable intelligence enabling strikes on numerous terror targets. The data contributed to the rescue of hostages and informed ground maneuvers. In Lebanon, the Shin Bet eliminated senior operatives from various Palestinian terror organizations, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Within Israel, the Shin Bet broke up 13 espionage plots, arresting 37 Israelis suspected of spying for Iran, of whom 27 were indicted. The agency also exposed 20 terror cells among Israeli-Arabs. (ANI/TPS)
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