IDF forces operate in Nablus
An IDF soldier was seriously wounded and three others suffered moderate injuries when troops clashed with terrorists during an operation in Nablus that began on Sunday. The military said the forces killed Abed Shahin, a terrorist responsible for attacks against forces, in the West Bank and for enlisting more operatives in the area around Nablus to carry out more attacks.
The counter-terrorism operations on the West Bank are not slowing down. On the contrary according to the Head of the Central Command Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth. Since the military launched its efforts to counter the surge of terror attacks late in August in attacks that murdered seven Israelis, some 100 terrorists have been killed and many others arrested.
Since then security forces have responded to the growing use of IED in the refugee camps. Troops confiscated materials that can be used to produce explosives such as fertilizers, destroyed explosives labs and arrested terror operatives connected with the supply chains that enable the production of such weapons. The military regard their achievement as critical and the IDF has bolstered its troop deployment to the area and currently has 25 battalions dedicated to the West Bank.
The events in Gaza and Lebanon, including the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, impact the events on the ground, a security official. But the coming month of Jewish holidays and October 7, which will mark a year since the Hamas massacre, are of greatest concern for the IDF, over efforts to destabilize security on the West Bank and the security forces including the Shin Bet are concentrating their efforts to prevent any such events.
Palestinian sources said that in the past month dozens of armed terrorists have surrendered to the Palestinian Authority Security Services (PA) including in the Nablus and Jenin refugee camps.
The PA is trying to project to the world an ability to rule over the West Bank cities, to legitimize its possible future rule over Gaza after the war. Palestinian officials are concerned over the sanctions imposed on them by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich that have financial ramifications for the PA, and his threats to penalize Israeli banks that service the PA, which would cause further harm.
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Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas presides over a meeting of his leadership
(Photo: Thaer Ghanaim /AFP )
A security official said there is currently a tense routine. "We've seen marches of armed men and attempts to enlist support for Hezbollah and Hamas continues ceaselessly to control the Palestinian street and prompt mass riots. Until now, those efforts have not succeeded by but that does not mean they won't later. We are facing tense days. The West Bank can ignite at any moment."