A family member of slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was arrested on Tuesday in Tel Sheva, a Bedouin town bordering Beersheva in the south, along with his wife, after police found weapons, drugs and some 250,000 shekels ($74,500) at their home.
According to Israel’s Channel 14 News, the arrests came as part of a major police operation, which involved hundreds of officers conducting raids on dozens of suspected criminal sites.
The operation was based on intelligence provided by an undercover agent who had been working in the area for several months.
During the search of the house, police seized a sniper rifle, a pistol, parts of an M16 rifle, additional firearms, various types of drugs and a large sum of cash.
The arrested individuals were taken in for further questioning.
The operation also resulted in the arrest of members of other criminal organizations, including a Georgian gang in Ashdod and other groups operating in the south.
Police said the operation was a significant step in tackling both organized crime and suspected terror-related activities in the region. The investigation is ongoing.
Ismail Haniyeh was killed on July 31, 2024, in Tehran in an operation widely attributed to Israel.
In April of last year, Israeli security forces arrested a sister of Haniyeh’s on suspicion of associating with and supporting Palestinian terrorists. The 57-year-old woman, whose name has not been revealed, is an Israeli citizen who resides in Tel Sheva.
The previous month, reports surfaced that Haniyeh‘s niece had given birth to a premature infant who was being treated at Soroka Medical Center’s neonatal intensive care unit.
