Four Hamas terrorists gave themselves up to IDF soldiers in the Golani Brigade following an attack on the former Palestinian Authority Interior Ministry building near the Gaza town of Jabalya on Saturday.
The gunmen, who are members of the Hamas terror group, handed over their weapons and were taken for interrogation by security forces.
Sources in the defense establishment called the capture a great operational and military achievement, saying the prisoners would provide important details on Hamas’s activities. Hamas's Islamist forces generally prefer death to capture.
Some strategists have pointed out that most Hamas prisoners in Israel are expected to be released in the near future as part of a deal to win the release of IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit, who is being held by Hamas.
The Golani Brigade was joined by IDF Tank and Engineering units in overnight operations in Jabalya, a popular launching site for terrorists firing Kassam rockets at Israel.
Two terrorists were killed and several others were wounded late Friday night in IDF air strikes and ground operations. A missile fired in an air strike in the Sajalya neighborhood of Gaza City scored a direct hit on a car carrying terrorists, Kassam rockets and other weapons. The car’s occupants were wounded in the strike.
Kassam Attacks Continue Saturday
Rocket attacks began again on the western Negev early Saturday morning with a Kassam explosion in Sderot. The rocket hit a home, causing damage but no casualties. A second rocket landed in an open area.
Within an hour, two more rockets landed in the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council. One exploded near an educational center and the other landed in an open area, also with no injuries or damage reported.
A fourth Kassam landed in an open field next to a western Negev kibbutz in the late afternoon. No injuries or damage reported.
IDF Eliminates Senior Terrorist in Samaria
A senior Tanzim terrorist was killed by IDF soldiers in a joint counter-terrorism operation with the General Security Service (Shin Bet) in the Samarian city of Shechem Saturday morning.
An army spokesman said 21-year-old Ahmed Muhamad Ibrahim Sanakra was an expert in producing explosives, explosive belts and ammunition. He was involved in planning and executing suicide bombings in Israel as well as recruiting suicide bombers.
Sanakra was also responsible for wounding an IDF officer with an explosive device he planted in the Balata section of Shechem. In addition, he masterminded dozens of shooting attacks on IDF troops as they carried out operations in city, which is known as “terrorist central” in Palestinian Authority-controlled Judea and Samaria.
Four other wanted Tanzim terror operatives were arrested during the operation in which IDF forces killed Sanakra. Among them were Sanakra’s 20-year-old senior assistant, Yossef Atiya Namer Hanun, 21-year-old Mahmud Gamil Mahmad Huiti and 20-year-old Mahmud Hamdan A-Hadi Shtiwi – a prominent operative in Balata since his release from an Israeli prison in October 2007.
All of the arrested operatives were involved in an attempted terror attack on Israel within the past few days.
Ezra HaLevi contributed to this report