The Israel Defense Forces killed a senior Palestinian terrorist in the Nablus region of Samaria on Friday, the military and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) said in a joint statement.
Members of the Duvdevan undercover counter-terrorism unit (Unit 217), guided by Shin Bet intelligence, were operating in Balata to arrest Omar Mustafa Abu al-Leil, a resident of Nablus and one of the senior terrorists in the Balata terrorist network in recent years, the statement read.
“During the searches, the wanted terrorist was shot and eliminated [inside a building],” the statement continued.
Additionally, the fighters searched the terrorist’s vehicle and located a gun and ammunition magazines, the military said.
Another Palestinian terrorist who was present in the building was detained and transferred to security forces for interrogation, the IDF and Shin Bet said.
According to the military, Ab al-Leil was involved in several shooting attacks against IDF soldiers in the Nablus region in recent years, but inflicted no injuries to the troops.
“He was [further] involved in facilitating the transfer of weapons to terrorist networks in Nablus and Jenin, and was known for providing shelter and aid to wanted suspects in Nablus,” the statement added.
“The IDF and Shin Bet will continue to operate to thwart terrorism throughout Judea and Samaria, wherever and whenever necessary to protect the safety and security of Israeli civilians,” the statement concluded.
The Nablus area is a known hub for terrorist activities.
On Wednesday, an Israeli soldier sustained serious wounds in an explosion in Beita, near Nablus, prompting the IDF to encircle the locale in search of the culprits.
The soldier, a reservist, was part of an operational activity by his Battalion 9221, a patrol and reconnaissance unit belonging to the Ephraim Regional Brigade, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said.
The IDF encircled and sealed Beita, a town of some 11,000 residents situated about three miles south of Nablus in the center of Samaria, and began searching for the terrorists responsible for the explosion.
According to the Palestinian Authority’s Wafa news agency, forces also surrounded the nearby town of Udala.
On Wednesday, IDF troops conducted several raids in Nablus and Bethlehem, according to Wafa.
Israel increased the volume and intensity of its military activity in Judea and Samaria following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023. On that day, an estimated 6,000 Hamas-led terrorists invaded the northwestern Negev, murdering some 1,200 people and abducting another 251 into Gaza, where 59 remain.