IDF forces significantly damaged a large terrorist infrastructure in the Arab village Beit Rima, in Area A (PA-controlled) in western Binyamin, in an overnight raid-and-battle. Although the full details are still under official censorship wraps, it was announced that Biet Rima is the village from where the terrorist cell that murdered Minister Ze\'evi originated. Five terrorists were killed in the operation, two were seriously wounded, and 15-20 members of Hamas, Tanzim, and the PFLP were arrested.
Arab sources claimed that IDF forces had perpetrated a \"slaughter\" in Rima on \"innocent civilians,\" but Raanan Gissin, spokesman for the Prime Minister, told BBC that these PA accusations were \"a slanderous lie.\" Gissin said that the PA was not fulfilling its elementary responsibility of fighting terrorism, and that therefore Israel had to do it instead. He implied that two of the wounded terrorists were involved in the murder of Ze\'evi. Gissin also countered Arab claims that the IDF prevented medical help from reaching the wounded by saying, \"We have seen that Palestinian ambulances generally bring ammunition to the terrorists, not help to the wounded, and so we did not allow them in. However, the army provided its own medical care to the wounded.\" The IDF also went looking for Arab doctors in the village to help treat a wounded civilian. The murderers of Ya\'ir Nebentzahl, and the perpetrators of many shooting attacks against N\'vei Tzuf residents, originated from Rima.
Arutz-7 correspondent Haggai Huberman reported that, unlike other IDF incursions into PA-controlled areas of late, \"there was strong opposition from Tanzim terrorists and others, as they had [good reason] not to want the IDF to enter, and the battles were tough. Today, however, the village was quiet.\" He said that the IDF is digging in for an extended stay in Rima. \"The forces entered before 3 AM, took up positions, and started making arrests according to a list they had.\" See Arutz Sheva\'s TV News Clip (28k, 56k, or Broadband) on this operation.
In other IDF actions today, army forces destroyed the house of Riyahd al-Karmi in the PA-controlled city of Tul Karem; yesterday they destroyed the home of the Dolphinarium suicide terrorist, the first time they performed such an operation in Area A. Al-Karmi was among the murderers of the two restaurant-owner cousins from Tel Aviv; the army failed in its attempt to kill him last month in a car bomb explosion. Four other Arabs were killed in battles with Israeli forces today. Soldiers entered a Tanzim office in Bethlehem and collected intelligence information, and arrested a Hamas terrorist in Hevron.
Arab sources claimed that IDF forces had perpetrated a \"slaughter\" in Rima on \"innocent civilians,\" but Raanan Gissin, spokesman for the Prime Minister, told BBC that these PA accusations were \"a slanderous lie.\" Gissin said that the PA was not fulfilling its elementary responsibility of fighting terrorism, and that therefore Israel had to do it instead. He implied that two of the wounded terrorists were involved in the murder of Ze\'evi. Gissin also countered Arab claims that the IDF prevented medical help from reaching the wounded by saying, \"We have seen that Palestinian ambulances generally bring ammunition to the terrorists, not help to the wounded, and so we did not allow them in. However, the army provided its own medical care to the wounded.\" The IDF also went looking for Arab doctors in the village to help treat a wounded civilian. The murderers of Ya\'ir Nebentzahl, and the perpetrators of many shooting attacks against N\'vei Tzuf residents, originated from Rima.
Arutz-7 correspondent Haggai Huberman reported that, unlike other IDF incursions into PA-controlled areas of late, \"there was strong opposition from Tanzim terrorists and others, as they had [good reason] not to want the IDF to enter, and the battles were tough. Today, however, the village was quiet.\" He said that the IDF is digging in for an extended stay in Rima. \"The forces entered before 3 AM, took up positions, and started making arrests according to a list they had.\" See Arutz Sheva\'s TV News Clip (28k, 56k, or Broadband) on this operation.
In other IDF actions today, army forces destroyed the house of Riyahd al-Karmi in the PA-controlled city of Tul Karem; yesterday they destroyed the home of the Dolphinarium suicide terrorist, the first time they performed such an operation in Area A. Al-Karmi was among the murderers of the two restaurant-owner cousins from Tel Aviv; the army failed in its attempt to kill him last month in a car bomb explosion. Four other Arabs were killed in battles with Israeli forces today. Soldiers entered a Tanzim office in Bethlehem and collected intelligence information, and arrested a Hamas terrorist in Hevron.