Two Israelis were wounded on Tuesday when a bomb exploded along the security barrier near Mount Gilboa in Samaria, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
An initial probe found that the victims, both Defense Ministry employees, were patrolling the area when they identified a suspicious object.
As they were approaching, the bomb exploded, lightly wounding them with shrapnel.
The IDF is searching for those who planted the device.
Earlier Tuesday, an Israeli drone strike in the Samaria city of Tulkarem killed five terrorists, including two senior Hamas and Fatah operatives.
Among the dead are Ashraf Nafeh, the commander of the local arm of Hamas’s Qassam Brigades, and Muhammad Abu Abdo, commander of Fatah’s al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades.
On Monday, security services announced the arrest of a Palestinian suspect in connection with the murder of Israel Prison Service dog handler Yochai Avni in his home in the Samaria town of Givon Hahadasha earlier this month.
Ibrahim Mansur—a resident of Biddu, located just southwest of Givon Hahadasha in the Binyamin region of Samaria—was arrested two days after the July 8 murder. Authorities established that Mansur is a member of Hamas.
A military court extended the suspect’s detention until at least July 29 while the investigation continues.
Also on Monday, security forces apprehended two members of a Palestinian terrorist cell from the Jericho area that planned to kidnap Israeli citizens.
The suspects, Muhammad Tariq, 19, and Amin Katash, 20, were arrested in the Aqabat Jaber camp, located some two miles from Jericho in the Jordan Valley.
The Palestinian Authority detained a third member of the cell, according to the ISA statement, which added that charges were filed against the suspects for “serious security offenses” including attempts to carry out shootings, kidnappings and membership in a terrorist organization.
The ISA investigation found that Tariq and Katash established the cell, purchased weapons and recruited additional members. They also dug a hole near the home of one of the suspects with the intention of hiding hostages there, according to the indictments.
On Sunday, security forces revealed the foiling of a significant terrorist plot orchestrated by Hamas operatives in Turkey and involving students from Birzeit University in Samaria.
The operation, a collaborative effort of the Israel Security Agency, IDF and a specialized police unit, led to the arrest of several suspects and the seizure of weapons and funds earmarked for the attack.
The cell, operating under the banner of “Kutla Islamiya,” was in the advanced stages of planning a major attack when it was uncovered. Intelligence gathered by the ISA indicates that the suspects were acting on directives from Hamas leadership in Turkey, with the ultimate goal of establishing a foothold for Hamas operations against Israeli targets.
