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Palestinians nab Hamas terror cell members

NABLUS, West Bank, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Palestinian forces arrested Hamas members allegedly plotting to kidnap Israelis, attack Jerusalem sites and kill a Palestinian official, officials said.

Cell members in Nablus, West Bank, coordinated their plans with members of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Ma'an news agency said. The aim of the attacks: to destabilize the situation in the West Bank, the report said.

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In a raid on the cell's headquarters, Palestinian Authority security forces seized weapons and cash, and also found a car rigged with explosives, Ma'an said.

The cell members planned to kill Jibrin al-Bakri, the governor of Nablus, nab Israelis and execute attacks against Israeli targets in Jerusalem, the report said. There was no mention of the number of Hamas members arrested.

In a separate incident, two members of al-Qaida affiliated Army of Islam in Gaza were killed by a missile from an Israeli drone fired at their car Wednesday evening, Palestinian officials said.

An Israeli Army spokeswoman confirmed Islam Yassin, 39, and his brother Mohammed, 20, were killed in the attack, and said Islam Yassin had planned to kidnap Israelis vacationing in the Sinai.

The army said he was a top aide of Mumtaz Durmush, an Army of Islam commander, and was also responsible for the abduction of British journalist Alan Johnston, who was held captive in Gaza for two months in 2007.

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The airstrike occurred two weeks after Israel targeted a senior Army of Islam commander who also plotted attacks against Israelis.

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