Tanzim Terrorist Breaks Deal

Quietly, behind the scenes, the IDF continues its non-stop war against Palestinian terrorism in Judea and Samaria. A terrorist from Shechem who engaged in terrorism and violated a key amnesty agreement with the IDF was arrested overnight.

The terrorist, of the Fatah-Tanzim type, was arrested Thursday morning by a joint Nachal and Border Guard force, in light of intelligence received by the Shabak and the IDF. He is suspected of involvement in a long series of attacks.

The agreement in question was made in 2007. The IDF agreed to stop pursuing 178 wanted terrorists who committed to stop their terrorist activities. The deal was to be carried out in stages: The first was a three-month trial period during which they would hand in their weapons and would not be arrested, unless Israel received information that they were planning terrorism. When and if the three months passed without their engaging in terrorism, they were to be officially removed from the "wanted" list. 

The agreement does not stipulate an official and irreversible pardon, however, enabling their full prosecution if ever they return to terrorism – as was the case with the terrorist today, Steven Enbatawi, 23. A resident of the Kasba neighborhood in Shechem (Nablus) area, he was arrested northwest of the city, where the agreement stipulated he was not allowed to be. He will apparently be prosecuted for several attacks he perpetrated against IDF forces in recent years.

Another Tanzim terrorist who served as his “assistant” was arrested along with him.

Security experts repeatedly emphasize that the IDF’s ongoing war against Palestinian terrorism takes place only by virtue of the IDF's ability to operate freely in Judea and Samaria – unlike in Gaza, from where Israel voluntarily withdrew in 2005. That withdrawal, known as the Disengagement, led to a tremendous increase in smuggled-in weapons and thousands of rockets fired at Israeli towns and cities.