During raids conducted on Yom Kippur, Israeli security forces arrested a Hamas-affiliated terrorist suspected of carrying out an attack on a Jewish school bus and a cab for special needs pupils in the West Bank.
Salman Imran, 35, a Palestinian resident of Deir al-Hatab, was identified as an ex-prisoner connected to a group of Hamas terrorists planning attacks against Israelis.
IDF forces surround Palestinian suspect in West Bank
The forces were met with gunfire from several directions as they entered the suspect’s village. In an audio message circulating on social media, Imran said he was engaged in a gunfight with Israeli soldiers and called on other men to assist him. IDF soldiers responded with gunfire, injuring several armed militants and killing one.
Following the exchange of fire, the suspect turned himself in and was detained by Israeli forces. He will be interrogated by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency).
Increased violence in the West Bank
Imran’s attack early Sunday began a day of violence near Nablus, in which Palestinians fired volleys of shots at a settler rally, lightly injuring an IDF soldier in the leg.
“These clashes are part of an escalation in our resistance in the West Bank and is our people’s response to what is happening in the blessed Al-Aqsa mosque,” Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem told Reuters.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Reuters contributed to this report.