IDF operation (archive)
IDF operation (archive)Flash90

IDF forces operating in Samaria early Wednesday morning captured the Hamas terror organization’s most senior member in Judea and Samaria, Sheikh Hassan Yousef.

Yousef, 62, is one of the terror group’s most senior leaders, one of its founding members, and a top cleric in the Gaza-based fundamentalist Sunni movement.

Israeli security forces raided Yousef’s residence in the town of Beitunia, just west of Ramallah. During the raid, IDF forces located and arrested the Hamas leader and searched his home for evidence.

The arrest of the senior Hamas leader comes as part of a larger crackdown against terror activities in Judea and Samaria. A total of 32 Palestinian Authority residents were arrested in IDF operations overnight, including at least 6 members of the Hamas terror group.

Yousef's son, 39-year-old Mosab Hassan Yousef, converted to Christianity nearly two decades ago and assisted Israel’s anti-terror operations, before moving to the United States. There he published a book, Son of Hamas, on his experiences as an agent for the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) over 10 years.

Mosab Hassan Yousef
Mosab Hassan YousefYonatan Sindel/Flash90