Successful West Bank operation: The Islamic Jihad chief in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Mohammad Abda, was arrested Monday evening in a joint IDF, Shin Bet and Border Guard operation that lasted several hours.
Clashes in Bethlehem (Photo: Reuters)
Security officials said Abda commanded numerous Islamic Jihad cells and has been involved in the planning and financing of terror attacks against Israeli citizens and military forces.
Abda was arrested after troops laid siege to his house for hours. During the operation a 17-year-old Palestinian youth who threw a Molotov cocktail at the soldiers was killed, Palestinian sources reported.
Military officials said that during the operation, dozens of Palestinians gathered in the area and proceeded to hurl Molotov cocktails, blocks, and rocks at the troops, who responded with crowd-dispersal means. The army said that after the rioters continued to target the soldiers and opened fire at them, the forces fired back.
Meanwhile, journalists in Bethlehem complained that IDF soldiers prevented them from accessing the site of the operation and were not allowing them to cover the incident.
On Friday, the Palestinians reported that IDF troops killed a 17-year-old Palestinian in a village near the West Bank town of Hebron. The army confirmed that a Palestinian was hurt during an operation in the village.
Efrat Weiss contributed to the report
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