Israel revealed Wednesday evening that its security apparatuses had nabbed three militants of the Islamic Hamas movement who planned to kidnap a Israeli soldier.

The Israeli Radio reported that the internal security apparatus, better known as the Shabak, arrested a group of three Hamas members in January in cooperation with the Israeli army.

The group planned to kidnap an Israeli soldier as a hostage and then reach a deal to exchange Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails, according to the radio.

To get into Israel, they planned to purchase a car with an Israeli plate and forge Israeli IDs. They also intended to buy a land in Ramallah, build on it a house and dig a tunnel under it to keep the abducted soldier in captivity, the radio said.