Ahmed Jarrar, the leader of the terrorist cell that murdered Rabbi Raziel Shevach near the Samaria outpost of Havat Gilad last month, was killed in a clash with Israeli security forces, the military said Tuesday.
Jarrar, a member of Hamas' Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, was 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.
A military statement said IDF, Israel Police and Shin Bet security agency forces raided Jarrar's hideout in Al-Yamun, a Palestinian town west of Jenin, overnight.
Jarrar reportedly exited the building where he was hiding armed and was shot by security forces. A search of his body yielded an M16 rifle and several explosive devices.
No injuries were reported among the Israeli troops.
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman lauded the troops' actions, saying, "The score has been settled. I congratulate the IDF, Shin Bet and police for a successful operation. It was clearly only a matter of time before we get the leader of the terrorist cell that killed Rabbi Raziel Shevach."
Head of the Samaria Regional Council Yossi Dagan said, "I welcome the elimination of this heinous murderer, as I'm sure everyone in Israel does. But catching terrorists is not enough – we have to spare no effort to fight those who incite terrorism and fund terrorism, and we have to reinstate roadblocks. The real answer to terrorism is eliminating its motives."
Dagan further urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "to announce the construction of a new Jewish settlement in Samaria. This is the only way to generate deterrence and prevent the next murder."
