According to the military, the operation centers on the "five villages" cluster. Forces are arresting wanted suspects based on intelligence identifying a reorganization of terror groups in the sector. Troops also conducted weapons searches in the town of Tubas.

The IDF stated the operation will span several days and concentrates on five key villages – Tubas, Tamun, Far'a, Tayasir and Aqaba. Forces will arrest wanted individuals based on precise intelligence following the identification of renewed terrorist organizations operating in the area.

In Tubas, reports confirmed a military curfew, road blockades and the deployment of army checkpoints throughout the village. Government institutions, schools and kindergartens have been ordered closed for the duration of the operation.

The operation follows activity on Monday, when an Israel Police elite counterterrorism force in Nablus eliminated terrorist Abd al-Rauf Ashtiyeh. Ashtiyeh was responsible for the ramming attack in May of last year that killed Kfir Brigade fighters Staff Sgt. Eliya Hilel (20) from Tel Zion and Staff Sgt. Diego Gabriel Harsaj (20) from Tel Aviv near the community of Itamar in Samaria.

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One central Hamas operative designated for release is Imad Qawasmeh (52), who has been serving 16 life sentences since 2004 for involvement in a suicide bombing that killed 16 Israelis. According to the Prisoners Organization Media Office, he is one of the "leaders" of the terrorists in prison.

The West Bank resident was involved in offenses including training terrorists, attempted murder, and conspiracy to cause death with intent. Qawasmeh is on the deportation list. During a 2004 operation, after the attack in which he was involved, he was captured by Israeli forces after his house was bombed and he escaped through a tunnel. He has a long history of attacks. He was first sentenced to five years in prison in 1994 when he assisted Hamas' "military wing" logistically. In 1999 he was released after completing his sentence, and eventually returned to terrorist activity in the Second Intifada.

Another Hamas operative designated for release is Qassem Aref Khalil al-Asafreh (36). In 2019 he was arrested after being involved in a stabbing attack in Gush Etzion, in which soldier Dvir Sorek was murdered.

Al-Asafreh was part of a terrorist cell with his cousin and another operative. The cell failed in two attempts before the attack. After the murder they planned another attack. Al-Asafreh is designated for deportation.

Muhammad Aref Samhan (55) is a terrorist who dispatched several suicide bombers, and is responsible for the attack on Bus Line 2, in which 23 people were murdered and 130 others were wounded. He is designated for deportation and belonged to the "Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades," from Fatah, during the Second Intifada.

Ibrahim Muhammad al-Raai (46) is a terrorist belonging to a Tanzim cell of Fatah. He is responsible for a bombing attack in the Casbah in Nablus, in which Osher Damari fell in 2006. Al-Raai was only arrested in 2022. He was recruited remotely by a terrorist from Gaza and worked to recruit additional terrorists. He was also involved in shooting attacks in the area of Joseph's Tomb. From the Shin Bet investigation it emerged that he participated in dozens of shooting attacks against Israeli forces and planting explosives.

One of those designated for release to the West Bank, who is not designated for deportation, is Rashid Mahmoud Omar (48). He was convicted of causing death with intent, membership in a Fatah terrorist cell, shooting at people, attempted murder, and involvement in hostile actions. He was arrested several months after the end of the Second Intifada (summer 2005) in the village of Faraoon in Samaria. He was convicted of the murder of a Palestinian whom he accused of "collaboration with Israel."

Another Fatah operative is Raad Abd al-Aziz (45), who was convicted of offenses including causing death with intent, possession of firearms, attempted murder, and conspiracy to cause death with intent. He is a resident of the Ramallah area who has been in prison for approximately 20 years for terrorist activity in the Second Intifada. Al-Aziz is designated for deportation abroad.

From PIJ, Omar Mahmoud Bassis (60) is designated for release. He is a terrorist convicted of planting explosives, membership in a terrorist organization, shooting at people, and attempted murder. He was also captured during the Second Intifada, in 2004. Also from PIJ, Arafat Hamid Zir (43) is expected to be released to the West Bank area. He was convicted of membership in a terrorist organization, aiding murder, and incitement to murder, and entered prison in 2003.

Faisal Mahmoud Abdullah Khalifa (43) is also set to be released to the Samaria area and not be deported. He is a Hamas operative who has been in security detention since December 2024. He is accused of offenses including membership in a terrorist organization, providing shelter to wanted persons, storing weapons, and conspiracy to cause death with intent.

On the deportation list is Firas Sadiq Muhammad Ghanem (51). He is a security detainee from Jerusalem, who was captured during the Second Intifada. He is accused of offenses including state security, causing death with intent, possession of firearms, attempted murder, conspiracy to cause death with intent, and more. According to the Prisoners Organization, he is accused of participating in attacks when he belonged to the "Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades," the Fatah branch in those years. It was also noted that these attacks led to nine murdered Israelis.

Another person designated for release in the deal is Ibrahim al-Hani (54), a Popular Front operative sentenced to multiple life sentences for involvement in attacks in the Second Intifada. He has been in prison since 2006 and survived an assassination attempt in the past.

Another Popular Front operative is Ibrahim al-Qam (53), who is supposed to be released. He is serving two life sentences for involvement in terrorist activity. He is one of those designated for deportation.

Another Fatah operative designated for deportation is Atiyah Abu Samhadana (56), from the Gaza Strip. He was captured in 1996 for offenses including murder and use of dangerous drugs. He is one of the veteran prisoners, a Rafah resident arrested for terrorist operations. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison, which is supposed to end this month.

From PIJ, Iyad Muhammad Abu al-Rub (51) is designated for release, a senior figure in the organization and "head of the military wing" in Jenin. He is responsible for planning a series of suicide bombings. He was involved in attacks at a club in Tel Aviv and a mall in Netanya. He is designated for deportation.

From Hamas, Alaa al-Din al-Karki (52) is designated for deportation. He is accused of causing death with intent, possession of weapons, throwing Molotov cocktails, attempted murder, and more. Al-Karki has been in prison since 1993.

Ghufran al-Zamel, fiancée of senior Hamas figure in prison Hassan Salameh, whom Israel refuses to release, appealed to Hamas leaders Khalil al-Hayya, Zaher Jabarin, Khaled Mashal, and Muhammad Darwish. "We, the families of veteran prisoners and those sentenced to life imprisonment, demand that you not give up on them. Abandoning them would be breaking a covenant that has lasted more than three decades. Do not abandon Sinwar's will and Muhammad Deif's commitment," she declared.

In the message she also mentioned the names of arch-terrorists Abdullah Barghouti, Ibrahim Hamed, and Abbas al-Sayed, whom she calls to release along with Salameh.

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An officer and three soldiers sustained light to moderate injures Wednesday night after being targeted by an explosive that was detonated at the entrance of Joseph's Tomb in the West Bank city of Nablus.

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According to the IDF, the troops were operating to secure the route for Jewish worshippers to the holy site – considered the burial place of the biblical patriarch Joseph.

Video: Footage featured on Palestinian media showed a large column of smoke billowing after the blast / Credit: Arab media

All four wounded were taken to the Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva, the military said.

Footage featured on Palestinian media showed a large column of smoke billowing after the blast. A local wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group claimed responsibility for the attack and Hamas praised it as a "message to the extremist occupation government that you have no security on any inch of our land, and you have no choice but to leave."

Clashes often erupt in Nablus, which is officially under complete Palestinian Authority control, particularly near Joseph's Tomb where the Israeli military regularly enters to accompany Jewish worshippers.

Dana Ben-Shimon, Hanan Greenwood and Yaron Doron contributed to this report. 

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An Israeli settler suspected of involvement in the killing of a 19-year-old Palestinian man in the West Bank over the weekend was released from detention on Wednesday and transferred to house arrest, a Jerusalem court said.

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The Israeli judge said there was insufficient evidence to extend the detention of the radical Jewish settler, Elisha Yered. The court also ordered a second Israeli settler accused of shooting and killing the 19-year-old Qusai Matan to remain in custody while being hospitalized for wounds sustained during the attack last Friday on the Palestinian herding village of Burqa.

Video: Mourners bid farewell to Palestinian killed by Jewish settlers in West Bank / Credit: Reuters

They did something that is so horrific, so immoral," Matan's 34-year-old uncle, Hamam, said. "We can only expect these attacks to continue."

The killing of Matan near the West Bank city of Ramallah enraged Palestinians and drew condemnation from human rights groups and foreign diplomats. In a rare statement, the United States Office for Palestinian Affairs denounced the killing of Matan as a "terrorist attack" – a phrase typically reserved for Palestinian attacks on Israeli civilians – and urged "full accountability and justice."

According to Palestinians, a mob of armed Israeli settlers stormed into the West Bank village last Friday, torching at least two cars and opening fire at Palestinians who thronged the street. Matan was killed and four other Palestinians were wounded. The IDF said that Matan was shot after an altercation between Palestinians and Israeli settlers escalated, leading Israeli settlers to open fire and Palestinians to hurl rocks and fireworks.

The episode added to an intense surge of violence that has gripped the West Bank and Israel in recent months.
Matan's family on Wednesday said that the court decision to place Yared under house arrest diminished their already grim expectations for justice.

"That they could shoot a young, innocent man in the neck and walked home," his uncle said.

Matan was "shy and good-humored," Hamam added, and had dropped out of high school to work at a spice shop in Ramallah and support his family. He was recently engaged to be married. "Our whole country is grieving," he said.

Police have accused the two Israeli settlers – Yered and Yehiel Indore – of causing death, obstructing justice, and committing a nationalistically motivated arson attack. The defendants claim that they were acting in self-defense after Palestinians attacked them while they were herding the flock of sheep.

The case has also stirred controversy in Israel because Yered worked as a spokesperson for a lawmaker in the far-Right Otzma Yehudit party led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

"A Jew who defends himself and others against the murder of Palestinians is not a murder suspect, but a hero who will receive my full support," Ben-Gvir wrote on Twitter after the arrests of Yered and Yehiel.

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Over the past several days, Staff Officer for Archeology (SOA) inspectors within the Civil Administration carried out enforcement operations in the Tel Aroma archaeological site in Samaria, located in Area B, which is under Palestinian civilian control. This is a relatively rare operation since, up until several months ago, the Civil Administration refrained from enforcing violations of archaeological sites not located in Area C, which is in full Israeli control.

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"Tel Aroma" is a biblical site mentioned in the Book of Judges and a Hasmonean fortress city. It overlooks the Itamar Ridge and has been suffering from extensive destruction of its archaeology. Among other incidents, it was discovered that a Hasmonean fortification wall with a unique Herodian addition of decorated stones was stolen. About a year ago, Israel Hayom revealed that the Palestinian Authority planned to build a Palestinian heritage site and a mosque commemorating the shahids (martyrs) at the location. This plan was considered "terrorism aimed at harming Jewish history" by Yossi Dagan, head of the Shomron Regional Council.

Video: Rare collection of coins found / Credit: Israel Antiquities Authority

The "Shomrim al Hanetzach" (Preserving the Eternal) organization says that last week, the Civil Administration personnel confiscated an excavator used at the site to pave an illegal road while destroying archaeological finds. As a result of the excavator's confiscation, the violations were stopped.

The Civil Administration has recently changed its policy and began operating in Area B as well, where violations of antiquities laws and archaeological site destruction occur. Several months ago, Israel Hayom reported that the Civil Administration operated in the Khirbet Turpin ruins, also located in Area B. At the beginning of this month, SOA personnel operated in Khirbet Turpin again, confiscating four vehicles and arresting looters at the scene.

"We welcome the new trend," Moshe Gutman, chairman of Preserving the Eternal, noted. He said, "The State of Israel has understood that it is also responsible for heritage sites located in Area B. The policy change that began in Khirbet Turpin is spreading throughout Judea and Samaria, led by the political echelon. We hope to see more and more effective enforcement operations such as these. The heritage belongs to us all."

The Israeli government declared a stated goal to act against the phenomenon of archaeological site destruction in Judea and Samaria and preserve the Jewish heritage in the region. Last week, as was published by Israel Hayom, the government approved a massive plan to combat the destruction of antiquities, allocating NIS 120 million ($32 million) to the cause.

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Israeli security forces stated that a joint operation was conducted in the West Bank city of Nablus, attempting to arrest two Palestinian terrorists who were suspected of a terror attack on June 5.

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The statement said the two terrorists were killed during an exchange of fire. The Palestinians were identified as Hamza Makbul, 32, and Khairy Shahin, 34.

The two Palestinians allegedly fired at a police car in Jerusalem. A source told i24NEWS that reinforcements were required amid the heavy exchange of fire, during the operation to arrest the suspects.

Another terror attack took place on Thursday afternoon, when a terrorist infiltrated the Israeli Kedumim community in Judea and Samaria, shot at a civilian patrol and fled after a return of fire. During the escape, the Palestinian man killed IDF soldier First Sergeant Shilo Yosef Amir.

The terrorist was later identified as 19-year-old Ahmed Yassin Ghaidan, from the nearby village of Qibya. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack.

This article was first published by i24NEWS.

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Hardly anyone was surprised by the arrest raid conducted by the IDF in Jenin on Monday. The only surprise, perhaps, was the fact that it happened only now.

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Security forces have been conducting an anti-terrorism campaign in the West Bank for a year and a half. It began with Jenin, then Nablus, and most recently, the Tulkram area. These areas are known to be strongholds for terrorism, especially in the refugee camp in Jenin and the kasbah in Nablus, and to a lesser extent in other cities and villages.

Until two years ago, such activities were largely led by the Palestinian Authority. The IDF only got involved in exceptional cases that involved senior terrorists or in case of danger of an immediate attack.

But then, due to a series of internal processes, from political power struggles to economic conflicts, the governance of the Palestinian Authority and its security forces deteriorated to almost non-existent. It created a vacuum that terror organizations seized upon, led by Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the local Lion's Den group.

The matter led to an increase in terror attacks, leaving the IDF and the Shin Bet security agency no choice but to increase their activity in the region significantly. Israel now conducts almost nightly arrest raids in the area, and lately during the day as well for an element of surprise.

But while the operations usually progress as smoothly as possible, Monday's raid got complicated. The forces were detected, fired at, and seven fighters were injured. On the Palestinian side, five were killed and dozens injured.

The IDF was forced to use attack aircraft for the first time in decades to provide cover and rescue the soldiers. The event reflects the rising level of violence in the region and the need for heavier measures.

The military should consider upgrading the soldiers' weapons to ensure their safety, even at the cost of making them heavier and slower.

The time has come for a more extensive operation in northern Samaria. There is no need to overtake the area, but to position large forces and maximally use our intelligence and operational capabilities in order to reach the most number of terrorists and those linked to terrorism in the shortest time possible.

Such an option has been on the table for over a year, but it seems that now is the time to implement it.

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The Israel Police published Thursday afternoon footage of the daring military mission in Nablus earlier in the day in which the two Hamas terrorists responsible for the murder of Lucy Dee and her daughters Maia and Rina were killed.

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During the raid, which was conducted by the Yamam counterterrorism unit, troops fired a rocket at the building where the terrorists were hiding in order to flush them out into the open.

Video: Israel Police

The footage showed officers launching grenades at the building.

Hassan Katnani and Ma'ad Masr were both killed, as was Ibrahim Hura, identified by the IDF as a collaborator with the terrorists.

Video: Palestinian media

Earlier in the day, footage circulating on Palestinian social media showed what in hindsight was revealed to be Israeli fighters walking through Nablus in disguise, some as Arab men and some as women wearing hijabs.

Leo Dee, Lucy's husband and the father of Maia and Rina, said his three other children "were comforted to hear that the Israeli security forces have eliminated" the terrorists responsible for the murder of their loved ones.

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A beloved Border Police canine was killed during an Israeli military raid in Nablus on Thursday, during which the terrorists that had murdered Lucy Dee and her daughters Maya and Rina were killed.

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A Border Police spokesperson said Django was shot while shielding the fighters from gunfire.

Seven years old, Django participated in hundreds of operations by the Yamam counterterrorism unit to arrest individuals suspected of terror activity.

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A senior member of the Palestinian terrorist group Lion's Den was reportedly killed in an explosion in the West Bank's city of Nablus on Sunday, with the organization blaming Israel for the attack.

Tamer Kilani's motorcycle exploded at 1:30 a.m. in what the Lion's Den labeled an "assassination," accusing Israel for attached a bomb to the vehicle. The group threatened a "harsh, agonizing and painful revenge" for his death.

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Surveillance camera footage released by the group shortly after the incident showed someone placing an explosive on the motorcycle, which exploded when Kilani walked by it in the Kasba hotbed of terrorism, the Kasba at the city center. Palestinians say the perpetrator of the killing was a collaborator with Israel, which considers Kilani a wanted terrorist for the recent spate of attacks on Israelis in recent weeks, particularly in the northern Samaria area, including the deadly drive by shooting of IDF soldier Ido Baruch and the dispatching of a terrorist to carry out a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, which was thwarted by security forces.

Kilani was known as a prominent member of the Nablus-based group, which took responsibility for several shooting attacks in Judea and Samaria over the past few weeks. According to the organization's statement his funeral will be held on Sunday.

Kilani, 33, has previously been locked up in Israeli prisons for his involvement in terrorism.

In mid-October Israeli troops arrested another Lion's Den member, Hamza Al-Azzi, although the organization reportedly denied that one of its operatives was apprehended. Some of the group's members had prior affiliations with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

i24NEWS contributed to this report.

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