The IDF on Sunday released more information on the elimination of nine terrorists on Saturday in two IAF strikes in the area of Tulkarm.
Following the precise elimination of a terrorist cell that was on its way to carry out a terror attack, the security forces initiated a counterterrorism operation in the Tulkarm area.
As part of the counterterrorism operation, an IDF aircraft struck an armed terrorist cell that fired at the forces in the area of Tulkarm. A large amount of weaponry was located on the eliminated terrorists.
In the precise IDF and ISA strike five terrorists were eliminated, including Haitham Balidi, a key Hamas terrorist in Tulkarm. Balidi was part of the terrorist cell that killed SSGT (Res.) Elhanan Ariel Klein, who was killed in a terror attack adjacent to the community of Einav, and 'Yamam' officer Superintendent Yitav Lev Halevi, who succumbed to his wounds after being critically injured during encounters with terrorists in a counterterrorism operation in Tulkarm.
Hamas terrorist Haitham Balidi was responsible for many terror attacks throughout Judea and Samaria in which Israeli civilians were injured.
Also eliminated was the Islamic Jihad terrorist Abed Al-Jabbar Al-Sabbagh, affiliated with the terrorist network in the Nur Shams Camp, who was involved in a large number of shooting and explosive attacks against Israeli communities, including Bat Hefer, Avnei Hefetz, and Einav.
In addition, the terrorists Ali Khalil and Jamal Abu Haniyeh, who murdered Amnon Mukhtar in Qalqilya, were eliminated in the strike.
Over the past few months, cooperation was identified between the Hamas terrorist organization in Tulkarm and additional terrorists in Nur Shams, in an attempt to carry out terror attacks against Israeli targets.