Soldiers in Nablus
Photo: Reuters
Suicide bombing in Israel thwarted
IDF forces operating in Nablus arrest would-be suicide bomber and his two collaborators; men planned to launch terror attack in heart of Israel
Paratrooper and Haruv units arrested a would-be suicide bomber and two of his collaborators in the Beit Ein Ilma refugee camp in Nablus Thursday; the three men were planning to carry out a terror attack in the heart of Israel in the next few days.
The ongoing operation in the area in the last three days has already led to the arrests of 36 wanted Palestinians, including senior Hamas and Popular Front members.
Earlier, Palestinian sources in Gaza reported that the IDF detained two prominent al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades leaders in the al-Ein refugee camp in town. The two were said to be on the list of wanted gunmen granted amnesty by Israel.
According to the sources, the two men were behind the kidnapping of Hamas members in Nablus following Hamas' takeover of Gaza in June.
Al-Aqsa members were outraged by the arrest, saying their members were committed to the amnesty agreement and were the first to lay down their weapons. A senior group member told Ynet that the arrest could lead to unrest among wanted militants, and might sabotage the deal.
The operation in Nablus was launched Monday night in a bid to target terror cells and prevent attacks on Israel. An Israeli soldier and two Palestinian gunmen have been killed in the course of the operation.
Ali Waked contributed to the report
