Hamas assassination plot on minister Ben Gvir busted, says Israel’s Shin Bet

The Hamas plot involved the use of explosive drones. (Photo: Shin Bet)

According to Shin Bet, the cell behind the failed assassination attempt operated a Hamas headquarters in Turkey “with the intent of carrying out an assassination attack on Ben Gvir.”

An investigation was underway, it said.

Ben Gvir’s response

Ben Gvir said in a statement that he would not be deterred or afraid.

“Hamas has already tried five times to assassinate me, and each time they failed,” he said, thanking God and Israel’s security forces.

Who is Ben Gvir

49-year-old Ben Gvir has been the Minister of National Security in the Benjamin Netanyahu government since 2022. A member of the far-right Jewish Power party (Otzma Yehudit), Ben Gvir has a long history of making controversial and provocative comments.

Ben-Gvir has been convicted eight times for offenses that include racism and supporting a terrorist organization.

A staunch opponent of the ceasefire deal with Hamas, Ben-Gvir had even temporarily resigned from Netanyahu’s cabinet earlier this year to mark his protest.

Ben Gvir rejoined the cabinet when Israel ended the ceasefire and returned to active combat in Gaza in March 2025.

Ben Gvir’s prayer at Temple Mount

Last month, Ben Gvir caused international condemnation after he led prayers at the contested Jerusalem hilltop compound, the most sensitive holy site in Israel.

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem on Sunday and said he prayed there, challenging rules covering one of the most sensitive sites in the Middle East https://t.co/GLglZPPjhD pic.twitter.com/yutHVVdtGA

— Reuters (@Reuters) August 5, 2025

While Jews revere it as  the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism, where the biblical temples once stood, today, it is home to the Al Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam. Tensions at the compound have frequently spilled over into violence over the years.