Two Palestinian terrorists attempted to seize a soldier’s weapon on Tuesday during a military operation launched by Israeli forces in the Kasbah of Nablus.
According to the IDF, during the attempted grab, several shots were accidentally fired, wounding one soldier moderately and three others lightly. The force responded with gunfire, killing both assailants. The injured soldiers were evacuated to hospitals, and their families have been notified.
The battalion-level operation in the heart of the kasbah involves two reserve battalions, Border Police fighters and special units that primarily operate in the West Bank. According to an IDF statement, more than 250 buildings have been searched so far, six wanted individuals have been arrested, and weapons have been located and confiscated.
Led by Central Command, the IDF has been conducting a wide-scale campaign in the northern West Bank since January. The operation in Nablus is part of that broader effort. IDF forces are currently operating deep inside the refugee camps of Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams.
Additionally, they are active in the "Hamash HaKfarim" area, which includes Far'a and Tubas. The overarching goal is to establish control over the main strongholds of the armed factions operating from the camps, maintain a prolonged presence, and track down fugitive terrorists.
According to the IDF, more than 80 terrorists have been killed and about 350 arrested as part of the current operation. Since the war began, over 900 terrorists have been killed in the West Bank, including around 300 in the northern sector alone.
The IDF has also carried out extensive demolitions in the heart of several refugee camps, significantly altering their layout. The long-term objective is to allow Palestinians to rebuild only in designated zones, in a way that preserves the IDF's operational freedom.
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Until now, the operation had not expanded to Nablus. Security officials emphasized again Tuesday morning that the operation is focused solely on the kasbah and does not constitute a general lockdown of the city. In the past, the Lion’s Den terrorist group operated out of Nablus, establishing a small terror network that launched attacks on roads and Israeli communities. Though some say the security forces responded too late, the IDF and Shin Bet eventually launched an aggressive crackdown that dismantled the group’s infrastructure, with many members arrested or turning themselves in to the Palestinian Authority.