Israel Defense Forces troops on Thursday completed a counter-terrorism operation in the Nablus area in Samaria, apprehending a terrorist previously identified as a member of the Lion’s Den gang, the military said.
Soldiers also detained another suspect involved in manufacturing explosive devices and advancing attacks targeting IDF troops and the State of Israel, according to the statement.
During the arrest of the suspect linked to the Lion’s Den, troops located weapons, including a handgun and ammunition, that he had intended to use against soldiers.
“Israeli security forces continue to operate in the area to thwart terrorism,” the IDF said.
תיעוד ממצלמות הקסדה של לוחמי יחידת דובדבן בחטיבת שומרון: כך נעצרו שני מחבלים שקידמו מתווי טרור נגד מדינת ישראל
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) February 19, 2026
לוחמי יחידת דובדבן בפיקוד חטיבת שומרון ובהכוונת שב"כ השלימו מוקדם יותר היום, פעילות לסיכול טרור ולמעצר מחבלים במרחב העיר שכם שבחטיבת שומרון.
במסגרת הפעילות, הכוחות… pic.twitter.com/vTJdvb3Rx9
On Tuesday, the IDF demolished the home of a terrorist in the Palestinian village of Silat al-Harithiya, northwest of Jenin in Samaria, who was involved in the murders of IDF Capt. Alon Sacgiu and Yonatan Deutsch in 2024.
The terrorist, Raafat Dawasi, was slain on Aug. 17, 2024. He was a senior operative in the Hamas terrorist network in Jenin, which was dismantled by IDF troops as part of “Operation Iron Wall,” the military said.
Dawasi was part of a terrorist cell that planted the explosive device that killed Sacgiu and wounded 16 additional soldiers during operational activity in Jenin on June 27, 2024, the army added.
In addition, the Hamas operative took part in a shooting attack on Aug. 11, 2024, at the Mehola Junction in the Jordan Valley, in which Deutsch was murdered and another Israeli civilian was wounded.
On Monday, Israeli forces apprehended a Palestinian terrorist who operated as a weapons dealer within a Ramallah-based terror network.
The suspect was transferred to the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) for further questioning.
On Jan. 21, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visited soldiers engaged in a counter-terrorism operation in Hebron, which he described as part of a series of maneuvers “aimed at strengthening the defense of nearby communities.”
The chief of the IDF General Staff noted that there is “immense importance” of operations aimed at “suppressing terror and its infrastructure.”
Zamir added, “We must ensure the readiness and alertness of the soldiers for eruptive terrorist incidents without prior warning.”
