Border Police officers from the Jerusalem Envelope unit have uncovered a cache of weapons hidden inside a deep water cistern in the village of al-Jib, in the Binyamin Brigade sector.
Police believe the weapons were intended for use in terrorist activity.
The operation began after intelligence was received as part of an ongoing investigation by the Jerusalem Envelope Border Police investigations unit. Upon arriving at the site, forces conducted initial searches and dives, but the depth of the cistern and the difficult terrain prevented them from reaching the bottom.
Fire and Rescue Services and a professional diver were subsequently called to the scene. Over the course of several nights, large quantities of water were pumped out of the cistern while divers searched the bottom in an effort to locate the hidden weapons.
The operation concluded overnight with the discovery of several sealed bags containing a significant cache of weapons and explosives. Among the items seized were six improvised "Carlo" submachine guns, magazines, 5.56 mm ammunition, two cellular phones, a remote activation device, a pipe bomb, an explosive device, an explosive block, liquid explosives, weapon parts, optical sights, and a bottle of gun oil.
All of the weapons were transferred to the Jerusalem Envelope Border Police investigations unit for further examination. The explosives and explosive devices found at the scene were safely destroyed by Border Police bomb disposal experts from Judea and Samaria.
Police said the discovery of the cache and the prevention of its use likely thwarted a major security incident, describing the operation as a significant operational achievement in the fight against terrorism and for the protection of the Jerusalem area.
On Wednesday, a Palestinian Authority Arab from al-Eizariya and an Arab from Jerusalem resident were arrested on suspicion of involvement in digging a tunnel discovered near the A-Zaim crossing in the Jerusalem area.
The investigation began after the Civil Administration reported the discovery of a tunnel near the crossing. Judea and Samaria District police officers and Border Police troops from the Jerusalem envelope unit were dispatched to the scene and located a tunnel that had been excavated from Judea and Samaria toward Israeli territory.
According to police, the tunnel reached a depth of approximately 25 meters (82 feet). Excavation tools, water bottles, gloves, face masks, and additional equipment were found at the site.
Forensic investigators from the Judea and Samaria District collected evidence and findings from the scene. As part of the investigation, forensic evidence, including DNA samples, was recovered and led to the identification of the two suspects.
In a joint operation by the Minorities Unit of the Judea and Samaria Central Investigations Unit, Border Police forces in Judea and Samaria, and Jerusalem District police officers, the suspects were arrested and taken in for questioning.
Police are investigating suspicions that the tunnel was dug recently and was intended to facilitate security-related offenses, including terrorist activity and the smuggling of illegal infiltrators into Israeli territory.