The Israel Defense Forces conducted counterterrorism raids in Samaria overnight on Monday amid ongoing attacks by Palestinian terrorists in the area, said the military in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.
In a series of operations in cooperation with the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet) and Israel Border Police, IDF soldiers carried out raids in the area of Jenin, a hotbed of Palestinian terrorism, the army announced.
As part of the operation, Border Police were deployed to Qabatiya, just south of Jenin, in an attempt to arrest a suspected terrorist, according to the statement. During the operation, gunmen opened fire on the fighters from the building where the wanted Palestinian was hiding.
The officers were said to have employed the “pressure cooker” protocol that involves increased gunfire to force a wanted terrorist out, after which the suspect was killed along with two other terrorists who were found to be carrying three M16 rifles and additional equipment.
The army identified the main suspect as Raed Hanaysha, pointing out that the slain Arab terrorist previously served time in an Israeli prison for terrorist activities, and had also been involved in shootings and bombings of security forces.
The Palestinian Authority described the slain terrorists as “young men,” naming the additional casualties of the “large-scale military onslaught” in Qabatiya as Anwar Nidal Saba’neh, 25, and Adnan Suleiman Tazaza’a, 32.
The Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad terror group subsequently confirmed in a statement that the three men were members of the organization.
According to the P.A., four more Palestinians were wounded by Israeli fire in the Jenin camp on Tuesday. The operation was ongoing, said Ramallah.
‘Lightning always strikes twice’
Also on Tuesday, police officers opened fire at a suspect at the Shuafat crossing in northeastern Jerusalem. Officers reportedly noticed the man hiding a bag near the checkpoint before entering a vehicle lane on foot.
Despite repeated orders to halt, the suspect continued moving towards the checkpoint. Officers fired at his lower body, neutralizing him. The suspect, who sustained moderate wounds, was evacuated for medical treatment.
The commander of the IDF’s Binyamin Brigade deployment area, which is based in southern Samaria, told the Arutz 7 news outlet on Tuesday that the military is detecting an increase in “popular terrorism,” including attacks with rocks and Molotov cocktails.
“This is terrorism for all intents and purposes,” said the commander, who was only identified by the Hebrew initial “Tsade.” According to him, “The only difference is that these terrorists use popular means, which do not require effort, but can be as deadly as a handgun or submachine gun.”
The major continued, saying that “when a terrorist plans a shooting, he needs to talk to an arms dealer and obtain a respectable amount of money, and that way, we can get to him” before the attack takes place. However, “when a terrorist plans a popular attack, all he needs to do is pick up a rock and throw it. It’s almost impossible to predict this in advance.”
The IDF commander revealed that the IDF conducts “statistical research and historical analysis of the sector” to anticipate attacks, noting that “in a sector like Judea and Samaria, lightning always strikes twice.”
On Monday, soldiers of the IDF foiled an attempted car-ramming attack outside the Arab village of At-Tuwani in the South Hebron Hills of Judea. No injuries were reported to IDF troops in the Palestinian terror attack.
On Nov. 13, two Israelis were lightly hurt in a vehicular attack outside the Arab village of Deir Qaddis, near Modi’in in the Binyamin region of western Samaria. The attack reportedly took place at the Hashmonaim Crossing near Modi’in Illit, the largest Israeli city in Judea and Samaria.
The previous day, a Palestinian terrorist tried to stab IDF soldiers outside the Arab town of Deir Sharaf, near Nablus in central Samaria. No injuries were reported.
On Nov. 11, two Israeli soldiers were lightly and moderately injured in a car-ramming attack at a military checkpoint near Bethlehem in Judea. Two terrorists fled the scene but surrendered to Israeli security forces following a manhunt.
On Nov. 6, two Israelis were lightly injured in a combined car-ramming and stabbing attack at a bus stop near the town of Shiloh in southern Samaria. The terrorist was killed on the scene by an armed civilian.
In the first six months of 2024, Judea and Samaria saw more than 500 Arab terrorist attacks each month on average, according to data made public by Hatzalah Judea and Samaria (Rescuers Without Borders).
During that period, first responders recorded 3,272 acts of terrorism in the region, including 1,868 cases of rock-throwing, 456 attacks with Molotov cocktails, 299 explosive charges and 109 shootings.
Terrorists murdered 14 people and wounded more than 155 others in Judea and Samaria between January and July, the rescue group said.
