Stefania Costantini was in contact with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a Marxist terror group.
By Pesach Benson, TPS
Israel deported an Italian national who was arrested during a recent counterterror raid on Monday, the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) confirmed in a statement on Tuesday.
Stefania Costantini was arrested when Israeli soldiers raided Dheisheh, near Bethlehem, on Monday. She was sent back to Italy the same day.
According to the Shin Bet, Costantini was in contact with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a secular Marxist terror group. She entered Israel on a tourist visa in May. Italian media reports said Constantini is in her 50s.
The agency said in a statement on Tuesday that “Costantini was summoned in September 2022 for interrogation by the Shin Bet, but she did not report, and even continued her activities for the terrorist organization.”
The raid on Dheisheh, a UN-administered refugee camp, was part of an ongoing Israeli sweep against terror groups in Judea and Samaria which has thwarted more than 500 Palestinian terror attacks. Operation Wave Breaker was launched by the IDF following a surge of Palestinian terror attacks in the spring of 2022 which killed 19 people. Overall, 31 people were killed in Palestinian terror attacks in 2022.
The PFLP has been designated as a terror organization by Israel, the US, European Union, Canada and Australia, among other countries.
Its most notable attacks include the 1976 Entebbe hijacking, the 2001 assassination of tourism minister Rehavam Zeevi and the 2014 Har Nof synagogue massacre.
In 2021, then-Defense Minister Benny Gantz blacklisted six human rights organizations over their ties to the PFLP.
Send 'Warm Winter' Care Packages to Israeli Soldiers - They are Cold!
We are honored to thank the young men and women of the IDF who risk their lives every day to defend the citizens of Israel.
Join us in sending winter care packages and personal notes of support to Israeli soldiers who are out in the cold all day.
Warm up a soldier's heart with essential winter wear including fleece jackets. Keep an entire unit warm by ordering 10 packages... The soldiers truly appreciate your love and concern!
Do You Love Israel? Make a Donation - Show Your Support!
Donate to vital charities that help protect Israeli citizens and inspire millions around the world to support Israel too!
Now more than ever, Israel needs your help to fight and win the war -- including on the battlefield of public opinion.
Antisemitism, anti-Israel bias and boycotts are out of control. Israel's enemies are inciting terror and violence against innocent Israelis and Jews around the world. Help us fight back!