Two Palestinian terror group fighters have been killed in heavy clashes with Israeli troops that broke out during a pre-dawn arrest raid near the northern West Bank’s Jenin refugee camp.
The Israel Defense Forces mentioned particular forces from the Haruv and Duvedan items entered the adjoining city of Wadi Burqin to arrest three Palestinians suspected of involvement in terror exercise.
The navy mentioned troops got here below heavy fireplace during the operation and responded with gunshots of their very own, including that “hits were identified.”
The casualties have been recognized as Mohammed Ayman Saadi from Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and Na’im Zubeidi from the Fatah-linked al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, although the assorted armed factions are recognized to work collectively in Jenin in opposition to the IDF.
The IDF and Shin Bet safety company mentioned in a joint assertion that the pair have been senior terror operatives. Both of the killed gunmen have been of their 20s however had already served time in Israeli jails for safety offenses.
Saadi was a “prominent PIJ military operative” liable for a sequence of capturing assaults in opposition to troops, and arming different operatives, below the instructions of the PIJ management, the assertion mentioned.
*الشهيد القائد الميداني ”محمد أيمن السعدي” ‘أبو الأيمن’* الي رضوان الله يا أسد الكتيبة pic.twitter.com/pOtmjL6I12
— أبوجميل العزازي #غزة#فلسطين???????? (@abu_jamil_) December 1, 2022
The assertion mentioned Zubeidi was additionally liable for quite a few shootings at Israeli forces within the West Bank. Palestinian media mentioned Zubeidi was a relative of Zakaria Zubeidi, a infamous Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terrorist who masterminded terror assaults during the Second Intifada and managed to briefly escape from Israeli jail final 12 months.
Prime Minister Yair Lapid hailed the operation, saying the pair had deliberate and carried out terror assaults in Israel.
“The activity of the IDF and the security forces tonight in Jenin is a direct continuation of our uncompromising policy in the fight against terrorism. The two senior [terroritsts] who were killed, an Islamic Jihad field commander in Jenin, and a senior member of the al-Aqsa Brigades in Jenin, planned and carried out terror attacks in Israeli territory,” Lapid mentioned on Twitter.
“Precisely in these stormy days, when irresponsible parties are trying to drag the IDF into an extreme debate and incite soldiers against their commanders, I want to express my appreciation to the security forces,” he mentioned, referring to right-wing lawmakers’ criticism of punishment for a soldier who taunted an activist in Hebron final week.
“This is the way to fight terrorism, this is the way to protect the citizens of Israel. Take care of yourself,” Lapid added.
كتيبة جنين: “ننعى أبرز قادة سرايا القدس الأبطال، الشهيد القائد الميداني محمد أيمن السعدي “أبو الأيمن” (26 عامآ) قائد كتيبة جنين، والشهيد البطل رجل الظل الشامخ والسند الحامي للمقاومة القائد الكبير نعيم جمال زبيدي (27 عامآ)، الذين ارتقوا إثر عملية اغتيال جبانة فجر اليوم”. pic.twitter.com/6mVDyzRoZ2
— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) December 1, 2022
Troops additionally seized three M-16 assault rifles during the raid, the IDF mentioned.
Palestinian media reported that as many as 20 individuals have been wounded at various levels, and the hospital in Jenin declared a state of emergency, urging locals to come back and donate blood.
The IDF mentioned no troopers have been harm within the operation.
Weapons seized by Israeli troops after a raid within the West Bank city of Wadi Burqin, near Jenin, December 1, 2022. (Israel Defense Forces).
In a press release early Thursday, an Islamic Jihad spokesman vowed to extract a worth in opposition to Israel for the “heinous crime.”
Over the previous 12 months, the Gaza Strip-based PIJ has launched rockets at Israel in response to members being killed or arrested within the West Bank.
Hundreds of Jenin residents have been filmed collaborating in a funeral procession for one of many killed fighters that departed from town’s hospital.
The Jenin refugee camp and the encircling space have been recognized as a terror hotbed by the IDF, which says it has been compelled to function broadly within the city that’s in Palestinian Authority-controlled Area A of the West Bank for the reason that PA has misplaced management within the space. Ramallah maintains that the Israeli raids solely additional hurt its legitimacy within the West Bank.
The pair killed early Thursday morning have been the seventh and eighth Palestinians killed within the West Bank in lower than three days.
شاهد| تغطية صحفية: “مسيرة حاشدة تحمل جثماني الشهـ ـيدين محمد السعدي ونعيم الزبيدي وتجوب شوارع مخيم #جنين “. pic.twitter.com/pHdZbFfuHu
— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) December 1, 2022
One was killed in clashes with Israeli troops within the northern West Bank city of Yabed on Wednesday afternoon. Four Palestinians have been killed in clashes with the IDF all through the West Bank on Tuesday and one other Palestinian was killed after finishing up a car-ramming assault that critically wounded a soldier that very same day.
Tensions have been excessive within the West Bank over the previous 12 months, with the IDF launching a significant anti-terror offensive principally centered on the northern West Bank to cope with a sequence of Palestinian assaults which have left 31 individuals in Israel and the West Bank useless for the reason that begin of the 12 months.
The operation has netted greater than 2,500 arrests in near-nightly raids, however has additionally left greater than 150 Palestinians useless, lots of them — however not all — whereas finishing up assaults or during clashes with safety forces.
The IDF mentioned troops arrested six different wished Palestinians during in a single day raids throughout the West Bank, and seized a handgun.
Last month, the UN Mideast envoy mentioned 2022 is on the right track to be the deadliest 12 months for Palestinians within the West Bank for the reason that UN began monitoring fatalities in 2005.
At the identical time, there was a steep rise in settler assaults in opposition to Palestinians and safety forces.
Times of Israel employees contributed to this report.
