‘One of the most senior Hamas leaders’: Netanyahu hails capture of Gaza security chief

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday extended his congratulations to the country’s security forces on the capture of the head of Hamas’s internal security apparatus, Muein al-Arabid, earlier in the day.

Describing him as “one of the most senior Hamas leaders,” the prime minister said al-Arabid had been “responsible for hiding and transporting our abductees [and] hiding senior Hamas officials,” referring to those taken captive by the terrorist group during its Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of southern Israel.

More recently, al-Arabid was involved in efforts to restore Hamas’s control in Gaza and to carry out attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians, Netanyahu said. “My directive is clear: The State of Israel will continue to persecute all Hamas leaders and all those who took part in the Oct. 7 massacre,” he added.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz had revealed earlier on Tuesday while visiting the Israeli community of Netiv HaAsara, situated near the northern border of the Gaza Strip, that “a senior Hamas terrorist operative was arrested a short while ago.” This, he said, was Israel’s policy. “We do not wait for threats; we pursue Hamas terrorists, neutralize them, and destroy their terrorist infrastructure,” he continued.

Earlier in the day, Arabic media reports said that the Israel Defense Forces had carried out “unusual” strikes in the Gaza City area. A local, allegedly Israeli-backed Gaza militia came under fire in western Gaza City during an operation to apprehend a Hamas terrorist, and was supported from the air by the Israeli Air Force, according to the reports.

According to subsequent joint Israel Defense Forces and Israel Security Agency announcement, al-Arabid was captured by “ISA special forces.”

“Earlier today (Tuesday), the IDF and ISA launched a targeted operation to remove threats posed by the Hamas terrorist organization in the northern Gaza Strip. As part of the operation, ISA special forces entered a structure in the Gaza City area and apprehended the head of Hamas’ Internal Security in the Gaza Strip,” according to the statement. “During the operation, the Israeli Air Force struck several targets in the area in order to remove threats to the forces. No IDF injuries were reported,” it continued.

In his recorded message, Katz added, “We are not moving from Gaza until the Strip is demilitarized, Hamas is disarmed, and all the terrorist underground tunnels are dismantled; and even after that, the IDF will remain in defensive positions in Gaza and ensure the security of the western Negev communities.”

The IDF said separately on Tuesday that it had struck several targets in the Gaza Strip to remove threats to Israeli forces, and had killed Hamas commander Omar Mohammed Roshdy Saraj in Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood earlier in the day.

The IDF said Saraj managed weapons supplies for Hamas terrorists in Gaza City. Another Hamas operative was targeted in the same attack, according to the military.

The two had recently advanced attacks against Israeli troops and civilians and worked to rebuild Hamas capabilities in violation of the ceasefire, the IDF said.