Arrest of 2 terror suspects on highway near Jerusalem said to be based on fake alert

The person who called in an alert about an imminent terrorist attack has reportedly admitted the warning was false after it led to the arrest of two people on Route 1 near Jerusalem on Monday night.

According to a Channel 12 report on Tuesday evening, the two people arrested near the Latrun Junction had no weapons in their car, and their interrogation indicated the initial alert was false.

Following the interrogation, law enforcement on Tuesday detained the person who called in the alert, and he confirmed having called in a fake warning, the network said.

0:00 / 0:00

Promoted: JPPI, Rabbi Sharon Brous

Nonetheless, both the caller and the two people who were arrested on Monday night are still under Shin Bet investigation to ensure none of the three are terrorists, Channel 12 said, quoting a security official as saying that “in such a sensitive period, we don’t take any risks — every unusual indication is checked rigorously.”

Other Hebrew media outlets also reported earlier on Tuesday that law enforcement in central Israel had made a third arrest based on intelligence from the interrogation of last night’s Route 1 detainees.

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories

By signing up, you agree to the terms

Those outlets described the third detainee as a suspected accomplice in the purported terror plot.

חדשות הסקופים
תיעוד חריג ודרמטי – צוות טקילה הוקפץ: חשודים בעבירות ביטחוניות נעצרו בכביש 1 pic.twitter.com/GTGxUEbLJS

— חדשות הסקופים. (@Haskupim) October 19, 2026

No security forces were injured during the arrest operation.

Israel is always on high alert for terror attacks, and is particularly vigilant ahead of next week’s Knesset election.

On Monday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir placed the military on its “highest state of alert” ahead of the election and canceled soldiers’ leave.

Zamir held an assessment Monday morning with senior officers, during which he “stressed that the IDF’s mission is to enable the democratic elections to take place on schedule and safely,” according to a statement.

He said the military is “on the highest state of alert and will continue to maintain a high level of vigilance and readiness across all fronts” in the coming period, ahead of the October 27 vote.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Help us report truthfully on social media

As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.

This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world. 

If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.

— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist

Support our work Support our work Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this

If you’d like to comment, join
The Times of Israel Community.