Israeli forces nab terrorist in Ramallah market

A Palestinian wanted in connection with several shooting attacks against civilians and soldiers was captured in Ramallah by Israeli security forces during a daring daylight raid on Tuesday.

The suspect was shot in the leg when he resisted arrest. No injuries were reported among the Israeli forces.

The mission took place in the busy wholesale market of the Arab city, with the suspect located standing near a stall.

Forces led by Unit 33 (Gideonim), an elite undercover anti-terror unit of the Israel Police, together with soldiers from the IDF’s Binyamin Brigade and agents from the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), identified the suspect and subdued him. They then carried him out of the marketplace.

“We will continue to act with determination and in conjunction with our forces to thwart terror attacks, arrest wanted persons and maintain the security of Israeli citizens,” the police, IDF and the Shin Bet said in a statement.

The arrest followed an Israeli Air Force strike on Oct. 28 near the northern Samaria city of Jenin on three terrorists planning to carry out an attack.

The three men were identified as Abdullah Jalamneh, 27, Qais al-Baytawi, 21, and Ahmad Nashrati, 29.

Officers of the Border Police’s Yamam National Counter-Terrorism Unit “identified a terrorist squad inside a cave and fired at them, eliminating two terrorists and injuring one,” the IDF said.

Defense Minister Israel Katz praised the IDF, Shin Bet and Israel Police for the operation, saying it helped foil a “serious terrorist attack threat.”

“Any attempt by terrorist groups to rebuild the terror infrastructure that we thwarted and destroyed in Judea and Samaria, in the terror camps in northern Samaria, will be met with a heavy hand,” the minister said.

On Oct. 21, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warned top military officials that terrorist elements could try to disturb regional “stabilization,” particularly in Judea and Samaria.