IDF kills wanted terrorist in Tulkarm area raid

Israeli forces on Thursday morning killed a wanted Palestinian terrorist during an arrest raid in Izbat Shufa, southeast of Tulkarem in Samaria.

Amir Khadijah, 25, drew a gun at soldiers in an apartment where he was hiding, according to a joint statement from the Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet).

The raid involved the IDF, Shin Bet and Border Police. The security forces were able to locate Khadijah based on intelligence from the Shin Bet.

Khadijah is suspected of carrying out a number of shooting attacks on Israeli communities near Tulkarem and on security forces at the Tulkarm checkpoint. His is the first reported Palestinian terrorist death since the start of Ramadan, which began on Thursday and lasts for a month.

During the raid, another suspect was arrested and transferred to security forces for questioning.

Weapons, including an M-16 rifle, ammunition and a military vest, along with a vehicle the terrorist used in the shootings, were seized during the raid and handed over to the Shin Bet for processing.

No Israeli casualties were reported.

Security forces also arrested eight wanted suspects in overnight counterterrorism activities in Judea and Samaria, the IDF said. They confiscated weapon parts and ammunition during the raids.

The arrests were made as part of the “Breaking the Wave” counterterrorism operation launched last year in response to a series of attacks on Israeli civilians.

The soldiers were attacked with stones and firebombs during the activities and responded with crowd-dispersal measures.

A shooting was also reported at an Israeli vehicle at Adam Square in the Binyamin region of Samaria. The vehicle was damaged and backpacks were found, according to the IDF. Israeli forces were searching for the suspects.