Israel Police said that 10 of its officers were wounded, one seriously, during a counterterror operation in the Nur Shams camp in northwestern Samaria on Thursday.
Border Police were operating in the camp to detain wanted terrorism suspects when they came under attack from small arms fire and improvised explosive devices, the police statement said. An IED exploded near the forces, seriously wounding one officer, with nine other officers being lightly injured.
A helicopter gunship was also operating in the area. The Israeli forces arrested 10 wanted suspects there since Wednesday night and they were continuing to operate in the refugee camp near Tulkarem.
An Elbit Systems Hermes-450 “Zik” drone attacked a terrorist cell in Nur Shams on Thursday, Kan News reported. The IDF confirmed the drone strike, publishing video of the hit on a group of terrorists.
The Israel Defense Forces said that in coordination with the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and Israel Border Police, “wide-scale counterterrorism activity” took place across Judea and Samaria overnight Thursday, with more than 80 suspects apprehended, including 63 Hamas terrorist operatives.
Israeli forces demolished the home of a Hamas terrorist in the village of Qibya, north of Modi’in. Ahmed Yasin Jidan carried out the shooting attack in Kedumim last July that killed Staff Sgt. Shilo Yosef Amir, 22, of the Givati Brigade.
During the activity to demolish the home of the Hamas terrorist, a violent riot broke out with the Israeli forces responding with live fire. A hit was identified.
Israeli forces have arrested 524 suspects across Judea and Samaria since the Hamas assault on Gaza border communities that began on Oct. 7 and killed more than 1,400 persons. More than 330 of those arrested in Judea and Samaria are Hamas operatives, according to the IDF, which added that over 50 weapons have been confiscated since the start of “Operation Swords of Iron.”
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has been trying to quell mounting protests in support of Hamas on the streets of Arab cities and towns in Judea and Samaria since the start of the Gaza war.
Abbas convened the heads of P.A. security services to suppress the growing pro-Hamas protest movement, warning that if they don’t get control of the cities, “the situation may get out of control,” Israel’s Channel 12 reported on Thursday.