The Israeli General Security Service (Shabak) claimed on Thursday that it had thwarted a bombing attack targeting a passenger bus in occupied Jerusalem, saying the operation was planned by a cell of Fatah and Hamas activists from the Ramallah area.

The Shin Bet claimed that the cell members were about to smuggle an explosive device into Israel, and said that members of the cell carried out shooting attacks, noting that the arrests took place during the months of November and December.

The Shin Bet said in a statement that its forces arrested "a cell of five people from the Ramallah area," and announced that the detainees in the alleged cell are: Ahmed Jasser Ali, Mandar Sheikh Qassem, Bashir Awad, Omar Subuh, and Ali Shuwaiki.

He added that the investigation with the detainees revealed that they planned to detonate a remote-controlled explosive device "inside Israel", against the backdrop of the war on Gaza. He claimed that some members of the cell carried out shooting operations targeting the occupation forces during the past year, without resulting in injuries.

The Shin Bet claimed that the investigation with Ahmed Jasser Ali revealed that he, along with members of the cell, manufactured an explosive device with the aim of carrying out a bombing operation on a bus in Jerusalem.

He claimed that the detainees had handed over an explosive device and weapons, including a Carlo rifle, which were intended for testing the remote detonation mechanism.

The statement indicated that indictments were filed against the detainees on charges related to "membership and activity in an illegal organization," "shooting at people," "preparing to carry out premeditated murders," "possession of weapons," and "attempting to manufacture weapons."