IDF Spokesperson’s Unit and the Shin Bet said Friday afternoon that two terrorists who participated in the morning shooting attack near Havat Gilad in Samaria were arrested during an operation in the heart of Nablus.
“The terrorists, who were wounded during the attack, were evacuated to a hospital in the city of Nablus where they were arrested by the forces and transferred for further questioning by security forces,” the joint statement said.
Duvdevan forces inside the Nablus hospital
The statement added that “the identities of all the terrorists who took part in the attack are known and the forces are working to arrest them.” The hospital arrests were carried out by Duvdevan fighters under the command of the Samaria Brigade and with Shin Bet intelligence guidance.
In Friday morning’s shooting attack, Maj. Yuval Ezra, a battery commander, and Benayahu Mellet, 32, a member of Havat Gilad’s alert squad team, were killed. Ezra, 27, from Herzliya, commanded a battery in the 411th Battalion of the 282nd Fire Brigade in the Artillery Corps. Mellet, 32, a father of two daughters, was a member of the community security squad and responsible for agriculture at Havat Gilad.
Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth held a discussion with settlement leaders following the attack and said: “During the incident, four terrorists were eliminated at the scene, including the terrorist who carried out the shooting. The stolen weapon was also recovered by the IDF. We have more arrests to carry out. Following the recent events, particularly this morning’s incident, there is concern of escalation throughout Judea and Samaria, and we are carrying out offensive operations to prevent the area from igniting and using all means at our disposal.”
He added that the IDF is also preparing for possible copycat attacks. “IDF forces in the Judea and Samaria Division are preparing to carry out significant counterterrorism operations and are working to arrest all the terrorists involved in the attack,” he said. “For this purpose, we have also rushed additional units here. We have much work ahead of us. We are launching a broad operation in the Central Command area. We will act in every way to halt the escalation and restore calm here. The security of residents is our guiding principle. The forces are operating with determination, operational aggressiveness and composure to prevent additional incidents.”
Before the shooting attack, security forces and additional settlers were documented clashing with Palestinians in the area where a group of Israeli hikers had arrived. During the violent clashes, one Israeli, wearing civilian clothing, was seen kicking a Palestinian and shouting at him to move away. The Palestinian then grabbed the weapon from the Israeli and began shooting, striking Benayahu Mellet. In response, security forces and Israelis at the scene fired at him.
Maj. Yuval Ezra (right) and Benayahu Mellet
(Photo: IDF website, TPS)
Hiking in the area requires prior coordination with the IDF, but security officials said the military was not aware of the trip and that this constituted a serious issue. According to the officials, the incident began with a hike in the area, and in the early morning hours a violent confrontation broke out between dozens of Palestinians and the group of hikers in the Palestinian village. The officials said IDF forces were then dispatched, and when the command team from the 411th Battalion arrived at the scene, a violent confrontation involving gunfire developed.
Security officials said the entire incident took place inside the village and that all weapons involved, including those located at the scene, are now in the possession of security forces. “The entire incident took place on the southern side of the village. Before the incident, settlers fired into the air, and the IDF is investigating everyone who fired, including members of the hiking group,” they added. “When the commanders arrive at the scene, they enter a chaotic event. The entire incident is in the southern part of the village. The fighters and forces then worked to remove all those involved, some of them children.”
Meanwhile, IDF forces are preparing for a broad military operation in Judea and Samaria, and a leave freeze was imposed in the area along with reinforcement of forces. In response to the attack, the IDF imposed a full closure on the city of Nablus and a curfew on the villages of Burin and Tal. A broad operation by security forces is expected to begin inside Nablus and throughout Judea and Samaria, with the goal of bringing all those who were present at the scene in for questioning.
This was the third incident in the area within 24 hours, and the Judea and Samaria Division has been on its highest state of alert since Thursday. On Thursday afternoon, Itamar Cohen, one of the founders of agricultural farms in Judea and Samaria, was stabbed near Elon Moreh. The IDF said a fire had broken out in the area before the stabbing and Cohen was among those working to extinguish it. A civilian killed the two terrorists at the scene. Hours later, a person was wounded in a stabbing attack in northern Samaria and the terrorist was killed by IDF forces.