A Palestinian terrorist involved in the death of YAMAM officer Sgt.-Maj. Noam Raz was arrested by Israeli security forces during a raid in the city of Jenin on Thursday morning.
The daytime raid in the West Bank city saw security forces from the IDF, Border Police and Shin Bet interal security agency arrest 23-year-old Sidky Meri’ while he was traveling in his car following intelligence from the Shin Bet.
During his arrest, forces also confiscated an M-16 and two pistols from his vehicle.
Violent clashes also broke out during the raid, with explosive devices thrown at troops. Troops responded by opening fire toward a suspect, hitting him in the legs. There were no injuries or casualties to Israeli forces.
Meri’ was described by the IDF as being “a senior military operative” was was “involved in a series of shooting attacks against IDF forces and is suspected of having taken part in the shooting in which the late officer Noam Raz was killed,” the military said in a statement.
Raz was killed in clashes by Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist Faruk Salame in May in Jenin.
Raz, from the community of Kida, enlisted in the military in 1999 and served for 23 years in the YAMAM counter-terrorism unit as a fighter, paramedic and sniper. He was described by the Israel Police after his death as a “brave, professional and humble soldier.” The police said that he “participated in hundreds of counter-terrorism operations, endangered himself and saved lives.”
Salame was killed last week in Jenin by Israeli security forces, just days before he was set to be married.
"Under real danger and threat to our forces, you succeeded in hitting the wanted person who engaged in significant terrorist activity and was even involved in the incident in which the late IDF soldier Noam Raz was killed,” said Border Police commander Amir Cohen to the officers who took part in the daylight operation against Salame.
Also on Thursday morning shots were fired toward the Gilboa Crossing near Jenin, damaging a structure in the crossing. There were no injuries from the gunfire. Following the shooting, the Defense Ministry closed the crossing and carried out scans in the area to find the gunmen.
Operation Break the Wave
IDF troops, the Shin Bet and Israel Border Police units operated across the West Bank on Wednesday night, arresting five people wanted on suspicion of terrorism and confiscating illegal weapons.
In the Ayda and Al'Aza refugee camps outside of Bethlehem, Israeli security forces arrested two people suspected of terrorist involvement, and in the village of Burka near Ramallah, an additional person was arrested.
Also in Burka, IDF forces seized an illegally acquired Carlo submachine gun.
Additionally, two other wanted persons were arrested in the Palestinian village of Dura near Hebron, and additional weapons were seized.
The arrested individuals have been transferred for further questioning and no casualties were sustained by Israeli forces.
The Israeli military has been conducting nightly operations in the West Bank as part of Operation Break the Wave in an attempt to crack down on Palestinian terrorism in the West Bank, with a focus on the northern West Bank cities of Jenin and Nablus.
Over 2,000 Palestinians have been arrested by Israeli security forces in raids and more than 125 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and east Jerusalem this year, marking a significant increase in casualties compared to previous years. Last year a total of 76 Palestinians were killed and 20 were killed by Israel fire in 2020.
Ten Israeli civilians and four security forces have been killed since the start of the operation which began after a deadly wave of terror attacks within Israel saw 20 people murdered by terrorists.