IDF arrests head of Hamas cell in Nablus
Military operation in West Bank city ends with foiled suicide attack, arrest of 49 wanted Palestinians
A senior Hamas leader in Nablus was arrested Friday morning by IDF forces completing an operation in the Beit Ilma refugee camp in the West Bank city.
Duvdevan unit forces arrested Niyad Shkirat at the end of a long operation which lasted for the past few days. Forty-nine other wanted Palestinians were also captured during the operation, and all suspects were trasfered to defense forces for investigation.
The Hamas official was hiding in one of the buildings in the refugee camp, and was forced out by the residents who feared the IDF would demolish their home. Shkirat was then taken in for investigation.
"The activity of IDF forces in Nablus thwarted a terror attack in the immediate future," said West Bank Brigade Commander Colonel Amir Baram at the end of the operation.
Baram said that some of the soldiers would be released for Yom Kippur, but that others would have to continue the fight against terror infrastructure even during the holiday.
During the operation, an explosive device was thrown at the Israeli troops and gunmen opened fire at them. In a separate incident, a Palestinian threw Molotov cocktails at troops north of Beit Ilma. The forces responded with fire, identifying a hit. None of the troops were injured and no damage was caused.
On Thursday, a terror attack was foiled when Israeli troops in Nablus arrested a would-be suicide bomber, his recruiter and his transporter, who were planning an attack in central Israel.
The three were taken in for questioning, but the explosives belt to be used in the attack remained missing.
A full closure was imposed on the West Bank and Gaza Strip Thursday night, and will be lifted at the end of Yom Kippur.
The IDF reported that during the closure, Palestinian civilians will only be allowed to pass through checkpoints for humanitarian reasons that are approved by the District Coordination Offices.
