A complex and swift overnight operation by Israeli security forces in the heart of Samaria thwarted a planned terrorist attack.
Officers from the Gideonim Unit of the Israel Police's Lahav 433 carried out a targeted raid in the Balata 'refugee camp,' arresting a senior Tanzim terrorist who serves as a major arms dealer in the area.
The operation, led by the Samaria Brigade in close cooperation with the Shin Bet, was launched based on precise intelligence that identified the suspect as a "ticking time bomb."
According to security officials, the suspect was considered one of the highest-priority wanted terrorists in the Shechem region. He had previously managed to evade several complex arrest attempts by the IDF and the Yamam counterterrorism unit. Overnight, the Shin Bet received real-time intelligence indicating that the wanted terrorist had taken advantage of the cover of darkness to return to his home in the Balata camp. Upon receiving the information, soldiers from the elite Gideonim Unit, which specializes in covert operations and urban assaults in densely populated areas, were deployed and prepared for a rapid strike.
The forces entered the refugee camp covertly, surrounded the building where the suspect was hiding, and conducted a surgical raid. They caught the terrorist by surprise, quickly subdued him, and arrested him in his bed before he had the chance to react or use his weapon.
Intelligence gathered by the security services indicated that the terrorist was planning to carry out a deadly attack against Israeli civilians and IDF forces operating in the area in the immediate future.