JERUSALEM (JTA) — A Palestinian resident of eastern Jerusalem was arrested for tampering with gas lines in residential buildings in order to cause explosions that would kill Jews.
The Shin Bet security service announced the arrest on Wednesday. Aziz Musa Uwisat was arrested three weeks ago and admitted to the attacks, in which he cut the gas lines of residential buildings in February and early March and left burning candles next to them. He also admitted to a 2012 axe attack on a haredi Orthodox man at the Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem.
He reportedly told police that he initiated the attacks in retaliation for the continuing Jewish presence on the Temple Mount and for Israeli military operations in Gaza.
He was known to security services in the past as a Hamas operative, Israel Channel 2 reported.
