The soldiers are engaged in pursuing and arresting leading terrorists in Jenin. Fifteen terrorists have been arrested since last night, including four who surrendered.
Shapira and his unit surrounded a house in which several wanted terrorists were hiding. The soldiers saw an Arab running out of the home, sparking a gunfire battle, in which Shapira was killed. The Arab was caught, and four other terrorists inside the house gave themselves up. A search of the home revealed three rifles, two guns, three grenades, and several magazines.
Among the terrorists netted in the operation were members of a cell that directed at least five suicide attacks over the past year, in which 22 Israelis were killed. Two attacks took place in Netanya, one in Hadera, and one at the Stage Club in Tel Aviv. A planned double attack was stopped at an IDF checkpoint, but Lt. Uri Binamo was killed when the terrorists blew themselves up there.
St.-Sgt. Shapira was killed in a battle similar to the one in which IDF paratrooper Sgt. Yonatan Evron, 20, from Rishon L'Tzion, fell on Nov. 2 of last year. Evron was killed while taking a wanted terrorist into custody in Mircha, in the Jenin district.
Earlier this morning, two Israelis were wounded by terrorist fire as they drove north of the Tapuach Junction between Shechem and Shilo. Two other passengers in the car were not physically hurt by the gunfire rained upon them by terrorists lying in wait along the road. Magen David Adom ambulances took the two victims to Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikvah, where they are listed in light-to-moderate condition.
The attack occurred near the Jewish community of Yitzhar, from where the army withdrew its forces last month after youths of the town attacked a soldier. Yitzhar spokesman Yigal Amitai said, "This shooting attack, which took place in the same place where many similar attacks have taken place in recent weeks, is another proof of the impotence of the local army network and its focus on media instead of on security, and on the slandering of Jewish residents instead of on catching terrorists."
The Defense Ministry has announced that the curfew emplaced upon the Palestinian Authority-controlled areas for the Purim holiday will be extended at least until the beginning of next week. This, in light of threats by Palestinian terrorist organizations to avenge the capture of the murderers of Minister Rehavam Ze'evi in Jericho on Tuesday.
Israel Air Force helicopter gunships bombed four approach roads in northern Gaza over the night, in response to continued Kassam rocket attacks.
Shapira and his unit surrounded a house in which several wanted terrorists were hiding. The soldiers saw an Arab running out of the home, sparking a gunfire battle, in which Shapira was killed. The Arab was caught, and four other terrorists inside the house gave themselves up. A search of the home revealed three rifles, two guns, three grenades, and several magazines.
Among the terrorists netted in the operation were members of a cell that directed at least five suicide attacks over the past year, in which 22 Israelis were killed. Two attacks took place in Netanya, one in Hadera, and one at the Stage Club in Tel Aviv. A planned double attack was stopped at an IDF checkpoint, but Lt. Uri Binamo was killed when the terrorists blew themselves up there.
St.-Sgt. Shapira was killed in a battle similar to the one in which IDF paratrooper Sgt. Yonatan Evron, 20, from Rishon L'Tzion, fell on Nov. 2 of last year. Evron was killed while taking a wanted terrorist into custody in Mircha, in the Jenin district.
Earlier this morning, two Israelis were wounded by terrorist fire as they drove north of the Tapuach Junction between Shechem and Shilo. Two other passengers in the car were not physically hurt by the gunfire rained upon them by terrorists lying in wait along the road. Magen David Adom ambulances took the two victims to Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikvah, where they are listed in light-to-moderate condition.
The attack occurred near the Jewish community of Yitzhar, from where the army withdrew its forces last month after youths of the town attacked a soldier. Yitzhar spokesman Yigal Amitai said, "This shooting attack, which took place in the same place where many similar attacks have taken place in recent weeks, is another proof of the impotence of the local army network and its focus on media instead of on security, and on the slandering of Jewish residents instead of on catching terrorists."
The Defense Ministry has announced that the curfew emplaced upon the Palestinian Authority-controlled areas for the Purim holiday will be extended at least until the beginning of next week. This, in light of threats by Palestinian terrorist organizations to avenge the capture of the murderers of Minister Rehavam Ze'evi in Jericho on Tuesday.
Israel Air Force helicopter gunships bombed four approach roads in northern Gaza over the night, in response to continued Kassam rocket attacks.