Hamas Terrorist Forbidden to Leave the Country

Interior Minister Rabbi Aryeh Deri on Monday signed an order preventing Hamas terrorist Mahmad Arnaut from leaving the country. Arnaut is an Israeli resident, living in Yeruyshalayim, and travels on Israeli documents. Security officials advised Minister Deri that because of his connections with Hamas terrorists abroad, allowing Arnaut to leave the country would constitute a major security risk. Last month, a similar ruling was issued against Amin Shwekey, another Hamas terrorist who sought to leave and develop contacts abroad.

Overnight Sunday IDF soldiers seized weapons that were to be used in terror attacks. Soldiers, working with police, discovered weapons in the village of El-Aroub in the Gush Etzion region. The owner of the house was arrested and questioned on what the weapons were doing there.

In a statement, the army said that such weapons were used in terror attacks as well as for criminal activity, and that security forces were determined to seize all weapons that were being held illegally by all people, in order to better protect all Israelis and residents of Palestinian Authority-controlled areas, who are also under threat by terrorists and criminals.

Overnight Sunday security officials said they arrested eight wanted security suspects in other areas in Yehudah and Shomron. The suspects were wanted for participating in rioting and throwing stones and firebombs that endangered Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers. Several of the suspects were also charged with belonging to Hamas. All were being questioned on their activities by security forces.