Israeli security officials say they have called off an attack on a far-right minister.

Israel’s internal security service, Shin Bet, announced this Thursday that it had foiled an attack on a far-right member of the government and dismantled a terrorist cell.

“Shin Bet has dismantled a terrorist cell that was preparing terrorist attacks in Israel, in particular against Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir,” the security service said in a statement.

A joint investigation by his services, the police and the army resulted in the arrest of 11 suspects, including seven Arab Israeli citizens who were questioned.

“Members of this terrorist cell planned attacks on military bases, Ben Gurion Airport and government offices in Jerusalem. They also planned to assassinate the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, using a rocket launcher,” read the statement.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the far-right Jewish Forces party and member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government, is known for his radical stance against Palestinian interests.

Gvir defends Israel’s annexation of the occupied West Bank and the resettlement in neighboring countries of some of the Israeli Arabs descended from Palestinians who remained in the territory after Israel’s creation in 1948.

In February 2023, Israeli police detained a Palestinian suspected of planning the murder of Bem Gvir.

Also this Thursday, the Shin Bet and the police announced in a joint statement that they had called off other attacks by terrorist elements supporting the Islamic State (IS).

Police have detained three Palestinian suspects who will appear in court later this Thursday.

According to a Homeland Security statement in March, “the investigation revealed that the terrorist cell intended to carry out attacks using explosives and that its members were affiliated with the Islamic State terrorist group.”