The operation in which two Palestinian militants were killed and nine wounded early yesterday morning is part of an intensive operation that the IDF is conducting in the West Bank.
Despite this, it is a particularly violent event, during which part of the house where the terrorists were hiding was destroyed.
During the operation, many weapons were seized, some of which were used to carry out terrorist attacks in Samaria.
The operation, which was held in the Kasbah of Nablus, was one of the most complex carried out in the region in recent years.
The house where the armed men were hiding was in narrow and crowded alleys, which made it difficult to reach the destination.
According to the early information from the Shin Bet, it was clear that there were many weapons in the house, so the operation was assigned to the IMM, which specializes in such activity.
Beside her, forces of the Givat patrol were operating, closing the area to prevent the escape of wanted persons and the arrival of more terrorists.
After the house was closed, the wanted persons were called to turn themselves in.
They opened fire, and in response a "pressure cooker" procedure was carried out - several rockets were fired at the house, and later even part of it was destroyed by a bulldozer.
The battle lasted more than three hours, during which firing was also carried out from other targets in the Kasbah.
The Palestinians reported two dead, but Israel believes that the true number of gunmen killed is higher.
At the end of the operation, the amlach that was in the house was captured, including the one that was used to shoot at the troops themselves. Much destruction was left at the place.
The Tanzim raises his head
The target of the operation in Nablus was Palestinian militants, most of them Tanzim men, some of whom were recently involved in shooting attacks.
Since the beginning of the year, there has been a sharp increase in the scope of violence and terrorism in northern Samaria, with more than 75 percent of the attacks being carried out by terrorists who come from this sector.
Hamas operatives in Gaza, photo: GettyImages
Unlike before - when most of the terrorists belonged to terrorist organizations, mainly Hamas and Islamic Jihad - in recent months there has been a sharp increase in the involvement of Fatah's Tanzim operatives in attacks.
In Israel, they believe that this activity is not carried out under guidance from above, the opposite is true: Abu Mazen and the Palestinian security mechanisms oppose it, and fear that at some point it may be directed against them as well.
However, their willingness to act against it is limited, and the local activists take advantage of this to increase their control over the territory, which sometimes also involves various elements of criminal and criminal activity.
The IDF message
The IDF and Shin Bet increased the scope of arrests carried out in the territories since the wave of attacks in March-April this year.
Every night several arrest operations are carried out in Yosh within the framework of Operation "Breakwater", but the operation in Nablus was unusual in terms of the level of violence involved. Security officials said that the arrival at the Kasbah at a relatively early hour, and the use of relatively violent means in response to the shooting, were intended to make it clear to the Palestinian militants that the IDF He does not shy away from reaching any point in Yosh, at any time. "The idea is to make them persecuted.
To take their safe place, the home, and make it unsafe for them and for those who are hiding them," explained a military official.
Rumors circulated in the Palestinian Authority yesterday that the target of the operation was Ibrahim al-Nablusi, who was a member of the terrorist squad that was eliminated by the IDF last February. The operation then was also carried out in broad daylight and was very violent, during which three terrorists were killed who were involved in several shooting attacks against IDF forces in Samaria
Al-Nablusi has been hiding in the Kasbah area ever since, and has become a local hero among the Tanzim youth.
The IDF and Shin Bet denied yesterday that he was the target of the operation.
Forces in Nablus (archive photo) // Photo: IDF spokesman,
The security establishment attributes the relative calm that has prevailed in recent times to the intense activity that is carried out in Yush every night. Another explanation is the reinforcement of forces carried out along the seam area, which makes it difficult for Palestinians to enter Israel without permission. The activity of arrests will continue with a similar intensity in the coming period as well. In fact, this activity was stopped only for a short time, in the days before and during the visit of American President Joe Biden to Israel, and it was resumed immediately after Biden left the Middle East.
Abu Mazen's governance problems
The relatively high level of terrorist activity that has been taking place since the beginning of the year is very troubling to Israel, mainly due to the problem of the governance of the Palestinian Authority.
Things may gain additional negative momentum the day after Abu Mazen's death.
Although Abu Mazen designated Hussein al-Sheikh as his successor and even appointed him chairman of the PLO Executive Committee this year, it is doubtful whether he will be able to easily impose his wrath on all the Palestinian factions.
In Israel, they are worried about this scenario, and the preparation for it has accelerated in recent times.
Most of the attention is directed to Hamas, which is constantly trying to launch terrorist attacks from the Yash - without success, thanks to the countermeasures of the Shin Bet.
These failures are part of the reason that the organization recently accelerated its efforts to establish fighting units in the refugee camps in Lebanon - in coordination with Hezbollah - to challenge Israel, if necessary, also from the north.
This activity is managed by "External Hamas" under the leadership of Salah Arori, who is also responsible for a significant part of the attempts to recruit squads in the West Bank and use them to carry out attacks.
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