Prosecution charges three Israeli Bedouins of supplying weapons to 2024 Beersheba station terrorist

On Thursday, Israel's Southern District Attorney's Office announced indictments against three inhabitants of the Negev region in connection with the 2024 terrorist attack on the Beersheba Central Bus Station. The suspects, Yahya al-Uqbi, his father, and his son, are accused of supplying weapons to Ahmad Said Suliman al-Ukabi, the 29-year-old Bedouin Israeli who carried out the assault.

The attack resulted in the death of Border Police officer Shira Chaya Suslik, aged 19, and injuries to several others. The charges include trafficking and possession of weapons and ammunition, as well as providing the means to commit a terrorist act. This development follows an undercover operation in which Border Police apprehended the three suspects, who allegedly facilitated the sale of a pistol and ammunition to the attacker.

The investigation also uncovered other arms trafficking deals among Negev residents. The Bedouin community strongly condemned the attack, emphasizing that it contradicted their values and called for increased cooperation against terrorism. Additionally, the Shin Bet revealed that a terror cell resembling the Palestinian Battalions of the West Bank was uncovered within the Bedouin community of Segev Shalom, with five suspects arrested in May and June.