Soldiers from elite IDF units Sunday night arrested three Arabs who were planning a “significant” terrorist attack against Israelis. The soldiers confiscated three large pipe bombs, which sappers safely detonated without injury.
The troops from the Kfir and Duvduvan units carried out the counterterrorist operation in Shechem, where Palestinian Authority special forces are mandated to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure.
The terrorists were member of a branch of Fatah, which is headed by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Military sources estimate that one of the motives of Fatah was to ruin any chances of an agreement with Israel that would free nearly 1,000 terrorists, including Hamas members, in return for the safe return of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.
Fatah fears that freeing Hamas terrorists would encourage the terrorist organization’s efforts to challenge Fatah in Judea and Samaria. Hamas won the first-ever legislative elections in the Palestinian Authority five years ago, and winning the freedom of its terrorists would raise its popularity among Arabs.
Fatah terrorists also were responsible for last month’s murder of Rabbi Meir Avshalom Chai on a road recently opened for Arabs in Samaria. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu responded to the murder by saying that the terrorist attack provided more evidence against releasing convicted terrorists who have been convicted for murdering Israelis.
More than 180 Israelis have been killed by terrorists who previously have been released from prisons.