Jerusalem, 8 October, 2026 (TPS-IL) — A 22-year-old Jerusalem pharmacy student has been charged with planning terrorist attacks using explosives and lethal poisons, allegedly targeting security forces and Jewish civilians, Israeli media reported Thursday.
According to the indictment, Muhammad Shalabi, a third-year pharmacy student and pharmacy assistant, became radicalized following the October 7 attack and the Gaza war. Prosecutors allege he consumed Hamas– and ISIS-linked content, downloaded instructions for making explosives and poisons, and planned to exploit his pharmaceutical knowledge and access to chemicals for mass-casualty attacks.
In early 2025, angered by parking tickets issued to worshippers near a Beit Hanina mosque, Shalabi allegedly planned to plant an explosive where law enforcement personnel routinely stood. He abandoned the plan after security forces stopped frequenting the site.
Prosecutors say he later joined Telegram groups linked to terrorist organizations, purchased chemicals and equipment in Ramallah, and conducted a chemical experiment at home.