Israeli security forces arrested a number of Palestinians on Wednesday night in the towns of Silwad and Kobar, north of Ramallah, who were planning an imminent terrorist attack against Israeli targets.
IDF soldiers, Shin Bet operatives and officers from the Border Police's counterterrorism unit took part in the arrests.
مشاهد أخرى.. مواجــــهات بين شبّان وقوات الاحتلال في بلدة سلواد شمال شرق رام الله.#فلسطين pic.twitter.com/iLTmdveCuM
— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) April 13, 2022
The Israeli forces entered the area after Maad Hamad, who had been in the custody of the Palestinian Authority for carrying out a deadly terrorist attack in 2015, escaped from custody. Israeli citizen Malachi Rosenfeld was killed and three others were wounded in the shooting attack carried out by Hamad near Shvut Rahel in 2015.
The Shin Bet received intelligence on Wednesday that Hamad had escaped and was planning a terrorist attack against Israeli targets in the immediate future.
After a number of hours, Hamad was arrested by Israeli forces in Kobar, and three additional Palestinians suspected of promoting terrorist operations with Hamad were arrested in Silwad.
Security forces surrounded the house where the suspects were hiding and after the suspects refused to exit, they fired at the house and the suspects surrendered without being injured. The suspects were transferred for questioning by the Shin Bet.
Violent clashes broke out between Palestinians and Israeli forces as the Israeli forces entered the area, with dozens of rioters throwing rocks and firing at the forces, according to Palestinian reports.
A Palestinian was killed and a number of others were injured during the clashes, according to the reports.
Videos from the scene showed the riots, with one video showing an Israeli vehicle losing control and hitting a wall, with rioters subsequently surrounding the vehicle. The security forces in the vehicle were safely rescued.
شاهد| شبان يحاصرون آلية لجيش الاحتلال بعد تعطلها في بلدة سلواد شمال شرق رام الله.#فلسطين pic.twitter.com/pKUhHTAt32
— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) April 13, 2022
"We got our hands on the killer of the late Malachi Rosenfeld," said Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Wednesday night. "Seven years ago, the heinous terrorist Maad Hamed carried out a shooting attack on a vehicle in the area near the Kida outpost and killed Malachi Rosenfeld of blessed memory and wounded three of his friends, who were on their way home from a basketball game (Shai Maimon was one of the wounded in the horrific attack)."
"Our forces, the Shin Bet, the counterterrorism unit and the IDF went into action and captured him, thus preventing a serious attack," added Bennett. "Our forces also arrested other suspects involved in the attack. Israel's long arm will reach anyone who raises a hand against us. It has no expiration date. I congratulate our soldiers."
A Palestinian who threw a Molotov cocktail toward IDF soldiers near Husan, west of Bethlehem, on Wednesday night was shot and killed by Israeli forces. Clashes broke out in the area shortly afterward, with rioters throwing stones at Israeli soldiers. Four Palestinians were injured in the clashes.
Shortly afterward, an Israeli civilian was reportedly attacked by Palestinians in Husan who burned his vehicle, according to Palestinian reports. He arrived in Beitar Illit shortly afterward without any bodily injuries.
The Palestinian Red Crescent declared a state of alert and emergency on Wednesday amid the spike in violence in the West Bank.
Palestinian suspect injured, arrested in Tulkarm
A Palestinian suspected of involvement in terrorist activities was arrested by Border Police in Tulkarm earlier on Wednesday.
When the police officers arrived to arrest the suspect, he attempted to run and the officers opened chase and shot at him, injuring him. The suspect was arrested and transferred for medical treatment.
During the arrest, riots broke out near the Israeli forces. Police officers noticed a rioter armed with a firearm and shot at him. No Israelis were injured in the incident.
According to Palestinian reports, three Palestinians were injured by live fire in Tulkarm, with one of them being arrested.
Representatives of the Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip met at the office of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the situation in the West Bank and Jerusalem, amid warnings by the factions against alleged Israeli actions in Jerusalem.
Sinwar was not interested in expanding the conflict but was ready to react if Hamas has no choice, KAN reported.
Bar Lev: Security forces are tasked with stopping and destroying terror in Jenin
Public Security Minister Omer Bar Lev stressed that Israeli security operations in the West Bank would continue to intensify in the coming weeks, during a visit to the Seam Line on Wednesday afternoon.
"What has been happening recently in Jenin - today, in the last two weeks - is IDF, GSS, police, Border Police forces are operating with great intensity, but this intensity will only increase," said Bar Lev in an address to Border Police officers. "It can not stop. It will only increase, because what is happening today in Jenin, and in particular in the refugee camp, is inconceivable. And as you all know no less well than I do - once you do not stop it in place, it expands and reaches everywhere. Therefore, the task of the security forces today is to stop and destroy what is happening in the Jenin refugee camp."