Islamic Jihad member dies in Nablus raid to map terrorist’s home

A Palestinian Islamic Jihad member died during a shootout between IDF soldiers and gunmen in Nablus (Shechem) during an operation on Monday to map for possible demolition the home of one of the terrorists responsible for the murders of the Yaniv brothers in February.

The Palestinian Authority Health Ministry said in a statement that Saleh Mohammad Sabra, 22, was killed. Another Palestinian was reportedly critically wounded during the exchange of gunfire.

Pictures circulating from Sabra’s funeral show him wrapped in a Palestinian Islamic Jihad flag and carried by members of the P.A. security services.

According to the IDF, the troops came under attack from rioters who threw stones, shot fireworks, threw explosives and shot at the soldiers and military vehicles. The soldiers responded with riot dispersal means and live fire, with a hit detected.

The operation in Samaria targeted the home of Khaled Harusha, the son of the terrorist Abdelfatah Harusha. The two men are accused of carrying out the shooting attack in nearby Huwara on Feb. 26 in which brothers Staff Sgt Hallel Menachem Yaniv and Yagel Yaakov Yaniv were murdered.

Meanwhile overnight, units from the IDF, the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and the Border Police arrested seven wanted terrorists in Judea and Samaria.

The forces arrested four wanted persons suspected of involvement in terrorist activities in the village of Beit Kahil, northwest of Hebron. During the raid, a violent disorder developed that included people throwing stones at the force, which responded with measures to disperse the attackers.

Two other wanted men were arrested in the villages of Sa’ir, northeast of Hebron and Deir Istiya, southwest of Nablus.

During a raid in the town of Beit Ummar, northwest of Hebron, terrorists threw stones, shot fireworks and threw Molotov cocktails at the force, which responded by dispersing the attackers and shooting into the air.

In Zeita, near Tulkarem, the fighters located and confiscated three shotguns.

There were no casualties reported to Israeli forces.