IDF Arrests Top Hamas Terrorist

IDF troops overnight Wednesday arrested Muhammad Abu-Tir, a member of the Palestinian Authority parliament and a member of Hamas. Abu-Tir has been arrested and jailed several times in the past. The IDF said in a statement that Abu-Tir is “part of an ongoing investigation on terror activities.”

Early Thursday, IDF troops entered Tulkarem, which is adjacent to the Green Line and a short distance from the coastal city of Netanya, and seized weapons and other materials from the home of a resident. The resident was arrested, and the weapons were taken in for examination by security officials.

Earlier this week, the Shin Bet arrested two female residents of Tulkarem who had planned an attack on an Israeli town. The two, twin sisters, had built a bomb factory in their home, and under questioning said that they had planned to carry out an attack in Netanya or Afula. Security officials discovered a large collection of weapons in their home. The weapons included guns, bombs, grenades, and other items. According to the Shin Bet, the two learned how to build bombs and plan terror attacks online via terrorist sites and social media.

Overnight Wednesday, IDF troops arrested 15 wanted security suspects in Yehudah and Shomron. The suspects were wanted for their involvement in rioting incidents, and for throwing rocks and firebombs at Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers. Several were also active in Hamas. All were being questioned by security officials, the IDF said.