(February 5, 2023 / JNS) Israeli forces arrested a senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative in Samaria overnight Saturday, according to Israeli and Palestinian media reports.

Khader Adnan was one of several Palestinians detained by Israeli security forces on suspicion of involvement in terrorist activities, said the reports. He was arrested in his hometown of Arrabe, according to Wafa.

The IDF said in a statement that numerous arrests had been made in counter-terrorism operations throughout Judea and Samaria, but did not name the suspects.

Adnan, long accused of being a spokesperson for PIJ, has regularly been held in administrative detention over the past 15 years, and is known for having gone on several lengthy hunger strikes.

Also overnight, Israeli authorities returned to the Palestinian Authority the body of Salah Muhammad Ali, who on Jan. 25 was shot dead while aiming a fake gun at security forces.

Meanwhile, Israeli air defense systems downed an unmanned aerial vehicle over the Gaza Strip late on Saturday night, according to the IDF.

The incident comes after the IDF conducted strikes in Gaza overnight Wednesday in response to a rocket fired by Palestinian terrorists.

Tensions have been high in Judea and Samaria and Gaza since two Palestinian terrorist attacks last month in Jerusalem, one of which killed seven Israelis.

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