French-Based Lawyer Salah Hamouri Operated Terror Cell in East Jerusalem
Israeli authorities dismantle PFLP-linked terror cell in East Jerusalem, allegedly operated from France by lawyer and pro-Palestine activist Salah Hamouri
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Israeli authorities said the Shin Bet and Israel Police exposed and foiled a PFLP-linked East Jerusalem terror network allegedly operated from France by Salah Hamouri. Israeli authorities said Hamouri, a lawyer by training and longtime Palestinian activist, used his ties to Israel as cover while allegedly organizing the group for attacks inside Israeli territory. Two of the suspects, brothers Yazid and Saeed Dadu, were indicted on several terrorism-related charges.
The Architecture of Remote Recruitment
Between 2024 and 2025, Hamouri reportedly met with cell members across multiple European locations and recruited them to establish what Israeli authorities describe as an “infrastructure for carrying out terror activity” in Israel. The operational security measures were deliberate and sophisticated. Hamouri equipped each recruit with encrypted mobile phones for secure communications, and the members executed various preparatory actions advancing terror operations in the Jerusalem area.
According to Israeli authorities, brothers Yazid and Saeed Dado, the two suspects who were indicted in the case, allegedly took part in several meetings in 2024 with other members of the network. Investigators said the group discussed fundraising and weapons acquisition as part of plans to carry out attacks against Israeli security forces.
The security agencies’ investigation found that Hamouri maintained contact with operatives affiliated with the “Shia Axis,” an umbrella term for Iran-linked armed groups, which he coordinated with to direct attacks against Israeli targets.
Hamouri’s Ties to NGOs and U.S. Pro-Palestine Activists
Jewish Onliner previously reported on Hamouri’s PFLP ties and his engagements with Western activist groups. Hamouri worked as a lawyer and field researcher for Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, a Palestinian NGO that provides legal services to Palestinian detainees.
However, Addameer itself has been designated as affiliated with the PFLP terrorist organization, according to research by NGO Monitor. In June 2025, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Addameer, saying it had long supported and was affiliated with the PFLP, and designated it for acting for or on behalf of the PFLP.
In March 2026, he served as a speaker at an event organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement for a campaign titled “Freedom for Palestinian Political Prisoners” held at New York City’s People’s Forum. The event promoted an in-person screening of a live webinar billed as featuring “first-hand testimonies from released political prisoners and lawyers.”