Israeli military forces arrested three suspects in Jenin and killed a fourth in an exchange of gunfire on Saturday as the IDF ramped up operations to hunt down those who helped a terrorist attack Israelis last week in Tel Aviv.
Two people died within hours on Thursday night and a third victim succumbed to his wounds the next day after Jenin resident Ra’ad Hazem opened fire on the crowd in the pub. More than a dozen others were wounded.
2 Murdered, 14 Wounded in Tel Aviv Terror Attack
IDF special forces from the Duvdevan commando unit, undercover fighters and Border Guard Police spent Friday night and Saturday operating in Jenin and its surrounds searching for suspects linked to the attack. A separate Sayeret Golani force mapped Hazem’s home for demolition together with military engineers.
תיעוד ממצלמות חזה של לוחמי יחידת דובדבן, מהפעילות הבוקר בג'נין ובברוקין: pic.twitter.com/rJ8NRZVWr6
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 9, 2022
Hazem’s father praised the attack and had refused a summons for questioning by the IDF investigative unit, saying if the IDF wanted him, they should come and get him, according to Israel’s KAN News public broadcaster.
A former security prisoner who previously served as a senior officer in the Palestinian Authority’s security services in Jenin, Fathi Hazem receives a stipend from the Palestinian Authority. He hailed his son’s deadly shooting spree and encouraged further terrorist attacks, according to Israeli media.
PIJ Commander Killed
Palestinian Islamic Jihad “Saraya Al Quds” operative — Jenin Brigades field commander Ahmed Al-Saadi — was killed in the clashes with IDF fighters and 13 others were wounded. Three suspects linked to Hazem were arrested in the operation. No Israelis were hurt in the gunfire.
IDF troops also seized an M16 assault rifle being used to attack them.
“IDF and Border Police fighters have been operating since the early hours of the morning in the Jenin area and other Palestinian villages in northern Samaria,” the IDF spokesman said. “At the end of the shooting, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative was killed and other terrorists were wounded. There are no casualties to our forces.”
The operation came as part of the “Break the Wave” campaign to stem the current wave of terror attacks.
Jenin Mosques Urge Residents to Attack IDF
Videos from Palestinian Authority media showing that local mosques broadcast messages via their loudspeakers calling on residents to participate in the fight.
إشتباكات مستمرة بين الشبان وقوات الاحتلال بمخيم جنين، و دعوات عبر سماعات المساجد للمشاركة بالتصدي لاقتحام قوات الاحتلال للمخيم. pic.twitter.com/MjuJBOl3z5
— الجرمق الإخباري (@aljarmaqnet) April 9, 2022
“At the end of the assessment of the situation in the IDF, it was decided to reinforce three more companies at the seam line in Judea and Samaria starting today,” the IDF said in a statement.
“The IDF will continue to do everything in its power to protect the seam line and maintain the security of the State of Israel and its citizens.”
Defense officials subsequently decided to seal off access to and from Jenin, a hotbed of terrorist activity.
Jenin to be Sealed Off
The decision to close the entrances and exits from Jenin was announced following a situation assessment Saturday night.
Merchants and businesspeople from Jenin will be blocked from entering Israel, and Israeli Arabs will be stopped from entering the city, according to a report published in The Jerusalem Post.
Pedestrian and vehicular travel in and out of Jenin through the Gilboa and Reihan Crossings will likewise be blocked, in accordance with decisions made by Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), Maj.-Gen. Ghasan Alyan following the meeting with Defense Minister Benny Gantz.
However, Jenin residents with Israeli work permits will still be allowed entry, albeit not through the Gilboa Crossing.
Potential Terror Attack Foiled
In a separate incident, an Israeli driver from the Wadi Ara area aroused suspicion among security guards on Saturday while arriving from the Palestinian Authority side of the crossing near Tulkarm, Israeli officials said.
The guards ordered the suspect to stop, and arrested him after he attempted to escape. An M16 rifle and ammunition were found hidden in the car.
The suspect was detained and taken for questioning by security officials.
