Six Palestinians from the Jenin area have been arrested on suspicion of establishing a terror cell to manufacture rockets and explosives for attacks against Israel, the Shin Bet and police have announced. The investigation uncovered a network that had manufactured a rocket and explosive devices and carried out at least three test launches, according to a joint statement released yesterday. The main suspect confessed to establishing the cell and identifying its other members, investigators said.
He claimed the test launches had demonstrated the rocket’s power and range, prompting the group to make improvements before subsequent trials. Another suspect admitted helping to obtain explosives. The investigation also found that the cell had received instructions through a messaging app from an outside source on materials needed to manufacture explosives, the Shin Bet and police said. Security forces seized several weapons, including an M16 assault rifle and an RPG, as well as written instructions for making rockets, explosives and devices intended for use against Israel and security forces.
The six suspects are expected to be indicted in the coming days. There have been several previous attempts by Palestinian terror groups to develop and launch crude rockets from the West Bank.
The Jewish Chronicle reports the arrest of six Palestinians from the Jenin area on a Shin Bet and police account, and mostly keeps that account attributed, with "alleged" in the headline and "on suspicion of" in the opening line. In two places it slips the agencies' claims into its own voice: a second suspect's admission made under questioning, and the stated purpose of the seized materials. Every voice in the piece belongs to the Israeli security agencies, with no word from the suspects, their lawyers or their families.
States one side's claim as fact
Minor
“Another suspect admitted helping to obtain explosives.”
Why this matters
The JC states "admitted helping to obtain explosives" as plain fact, with no attribution in the sentence.
The impression it gives
A reader takes it as established that this suspect obtained explosives for the cell.
The context
This is an account of a statement made during Shin Bet and police questioning, relayed by the agencies. The JC attributes the main suspect's confession to investigators in S3 but not this one. The Jerusalem Post frames it as an admission "during questioning". No charge has been tested in court.
How we know
Elsewhere in the article“confessed to establishing the cell and identifying its other members, investigators said”