Shots fired at Avnei Hefetz in western Samaria

There were no casualties and no damage from a shooting at the Jewish community of Avnei Hefetz in Samaria on Sunday, the Israeli Defense Forces said. One person was treated at the scene for shock, emergency medical service personnel said.

A search of the area found backpacks possibly used by the terrorists, the army added.

The IDF also said that forces operated later Sunday morning in the Nur Shams camp, east of the Palestinian city of Tulkarem. Armed clashes broke out and three Palestinians were arrested. Weapons were confiscated during the raid.

Another arrest of a wanted terrorist was made in the village of Beit Awwa, west of Hebron in Judea. A gun, ammunition and a military uniform were confiscated.

The troops were conducting the raids as part of the “Break the Wave” counterterrorism operation started last year in response to a series of deadly attacks on Israeli civilians.

A new terrorist group in Judea and Samaria calling itself the Tulkarem Brigade said its gunmen were firing at Israeli troops in Tulkarem. The new organization announced in late February that it was starting “rapid response” operations in response to an Israel raid in Nablus (biblical Shechem) on Feb. 22 that left 11 dead and 100 wounded.

The group previously said that it has targeted Avnei Hefetz.

Israeli forces on Thursday morning killed the leader of the Tulkarem Brigade during an arrest raid in Izbat Shufa, southeast of Tulkarem.

Amir Khadijah, 25, drew a gun and aimed it at soldiers in an apartment where he was hiding, according to a joint statement from the IDF and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet).

The raid involved the IDF, Shin Bet and Border Police. The security forces were able to locate Khadijah based on intelligence from the Shin Bet.

Khadijah is suspected of carrying out a number of shooting attacks on Israeli communities near Tulkarem and on security personnel at the Tulkarem checkpoint.