IDF troops and Shin Bet security agency officers on Saturday raided the Palestinian town of Burqin, west of Jenin, in a search for Ahmed Jarrar, the leader of the terrorist cell that murdered Rabbi Raziel Shevach near the Samaria outpost of Havat Gilad last month. One Palestinian suspected as an accomplice was arrested in the raid.
Jarrar, a member of Hamas' Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, is the son of Hamas commander Nasser Jarrar, killed by Israeli forces in 2002, at the height of the Second Intifada.
The younger Jarrar was believed to have been killed in a Jan. 18 raid in Jenin, where two members of the cell were arrested and a third killed, but the defense establishment soon learned he managed to escape, becoming the subject of a massive IDF manhunt.
"Since the Jan. 9 shooting attack near Havat Gilad, IDF and Shin Bet forces have been investigating the incident and working to arrest the terrorists and their accomplices," the IDF Spokesperson's Unit said in a statement.
"Over the past month, several Palestinians have been arrested on suspicion of collaborating with the terrorists who carried out the attack. Yesterday [Saturday] IDF, Shin Bet and Border Police forces arrested several additional suspects. A riot erupted during the operation and the troops used crowd control measures to restore order. The investigation is ongoing."
Palestinian media reported that Israeli troops used live fire during the riot, during which dozens of Palestinians clashed with IDF and Border Police forces.
According to reports by the Palestine Red Crescent Society, at least eight Palestinians were injured in the clash, five from inhaling tear gas and three from rubber bullets. They were taken to a local hospital for treatment.
The military said it was looking into the Palestinians' claims on the matter.
Palestinian media further claimed that the Israeli forces who raided Burqin imposed a curfew on the town, announcing that unless Jarrar turns himself in, they would begin razing the local homes.
The fact that Jarrar continues to evade arrest has turned him into something of a living legend among Palestinian youth, who perceive him as a hero who is able to time and again best the sophisticated Israeli defense establishment.
While defense officials admit the fact that Jarrar remains at large a month after the attack indicates an intelligence failure, they stressed that the question was not if security forces get their hands on him, but rather when that happens.
The intelligence failure is even more jarring considering Jarrar's notoriety in the area, one source said.
It is safe to assume that as a former Palestinian security officer, Jarrar has firsthand knowledge of every possible hideout in the area, but he still has to survive, something he would be unable to do without accomplices.
One intelligence official said that Jarrar has to be aware of the fact that Israeli forces are closing in on him. He added that, unfortunately, the longer Jarrar remains at large, the greater his dubious claim to fame becomes in Palestinian eyes, which may result in copycat attacks.
