About 1000 IDF soldiers entered Shechem (Nablus) this morning and arrested 41 terror suspects, according to the Hebrew-language 0404 website. During the raid, which focused on the Balata refugee camp, the soldiers confiscated a wide range of weaponry, including rifles, hand grenades, roadside bombs and ammunition.
The website added that local Arabs did not put up resistance to the IDF troops, and that the army will continue the wide scale operation to arrest terror suspects and confiscate weapons
The overnight operation brought the total number of Hamas operatives to be detained to more than 200. One IDF official told the Ynet website that the army is committed “to delivering a strong blow to Hamas and to hitting anything that remotely smells like Hamas.”
The officer added that IDF and Palestinian security forces are maintaining a “very reasonable” level of coordination.
Ynet also reported that IDF troops also raided Hamas offices and organizations in Hebron in order to confiscate classified documents and materials that could link the group to terror activities in Judea and Samaria. The report cited a senior security official who believe Hamas activities in Hebron include laundering money earmarked for social programs but is used to finance terror attacks.
The army also confirmed that troops demolished several illegal structures owned by Hamas north of Hebron. In addition, IDF troops in Ramallah arrested Aziz Kayed, director general of al-Aqsa Television, Hamas’ Judea and Samaria-based TV station.