Two Palestinian gunmen were killed in Jenin on Friday during a firefight that erupted when Israeli soldiers entered the city to arrest Hamas terrorist Diaa Salama in connection with several recent attacks against Israeli security forces.
The Israeli troops came under heavy fire during the raid, with Palestinian gunmen also hurling explosive devices at them, according to a statement by the Israel Defense Forces. The soldiers returned fire, and several hits were identified, the statement continued.
One of the casualties was identified by the Palestinian Health Ministry as Abdullah Abu-Tin, a doctor and Fatah operative, while Israeli media identified the other casualty as Mateen Dabaya, a 25-year-old local resident known to the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) for past terrorist activity. Dabaya’s brother, Islam, was reportedly seriously wounded in the incident.
Fatah Secretary-General in Jenin Ata Abu-Ramila praised Abu-Tin, saying in a statement that “the doctor, a member of the movement, was killed while fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with resistance fighters,” according Ynet.
Cellphone footage of the incident shows Palestinians opening fire on IDF soldiers from behind a Red Crescent ambulance.
The Israeli security forces successfully arrested Salama, as well as two other terror suspects, before leaving the area.
Also on Friday, the IDF arrested terror suspects in Nablus and Hebron, including a suspect in a Sept. 29 shooting together with the rifle believed to have been used in the attack.
The Border Police called up four reserve companies following a situation assessment held the same day, with two of the companies being deployed to Jerusalem and two more to the surrounding area.
