Security forces thwarted a terrorist bombing attack targeting IDF soldiers at a bus station in Acre, Israel Police and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) announced on Tuesday. The Haifa District Attorney's Office filed an indictment against the suspect, Issa Madi, on Tuesday, following his arrest on August 21.
Madi, an 18-year-old man from Acre, was inspired by the terrorist organization ISIS and maintained contact with Islamic State operatives abroad.
In recent weeks, he was arrested on suspicion of identifying with ISIS and taking steps to manufacture explosives. During interrogation, Shin Bet investigators uncovered a detailed plan to carry out the attack at a bus station near Acre's train station.
The threat ISIS poses
“This case underscores the persistent threat posed by ISIS sympathizers within Israeli territory,” the police and Shin Bet said. Since the Hamas attack of October 7, there has been “a notable rise in threats from the Islamic State and an increase in Israeli Arab involvement in terrorism,” the authorities added.
Madi's interests in ISIS-inspired content - consumed by him through various social media accounts - began already in 2019. His ideological fervor for its jihadist philosophy spiked in February 2025, boosted by the widespread content available for consumption on the internet.
Madi also scoured specific sites that show ISIS content, including terrorist acts carried out under its inspiration - like beheadings, murders, and executions of anti-state actors.
From March 30 onwards, Madi downloaded via Telegram 47 different guides on planning and executing terrorist attacks, specifically with the use of explosives.
After studying the guides, Madi coalesced the plan to operate an explosive device from afar at a train station near his hometown “to cause the deaths of soldiers,” reads the indictment.
“This plan was motivated by a nationalistic-ideological drive, and with the goal to sow in the public fear and alarm,” it continues.
On April 7, Madi downloaded an instructional video from Telegram explaining exactly how to construct an explosive by hand.
About two months later, on June 5, Madi advanced preparations for the attack plan from an apartment in Eilat. Around a month later, he inquired about acquiring acetone and distilled water for the construction of the explosive materials. Once it was all ready, he flushed down his toilet to avoid capture.
Throughout the month of August, he continued to consume ISIS-inspired videos. On TikTok, he found a user whom he had a strong suspicion was a member of the terrorist group, and contacted him regarding explosives.
On August 21 at around 1 p.m., officers arrived at Madi's home, where he, when he noticed them, threw his phone to the roof to thwart anything on it that could be used against him.
He was indicted on the charges of preparation for an aggravated terrorist act of murder, training or instruction for terrorist purposes, contact with a foreign agent, and obstruction of justice.
Pesach Benson/TPS contributed to this report.