An IDF force from the Haruv Battalion arrested a Palestinian female suspected of intending to carrying out a suicide bombing in Israel. She was arrested at the Beit Iba checkpoint near Nablus. Shortly afterwards, a second Palestinian female was also arrested, who according to suspicions was meant to drive the bomber to the destination of the intended attack. | “...over the past month police and military forces thwarted eight suicide bombing and kidnapping attempts. During that time 396 terror operatives were arrested, among them 12 suicide bombers...” |
The foiled bombings planned to target Bnei Brak, Rehovot, Alon Moreh, and Oranit. A planned kidnapped was thwarted in Tel Aviv. While Israeli forces are fighting Hizbullah in south Lebanon, security forces have been investing intense efforts to prevent Palestinian terror groups from carrying out attacks. The security establishment assessed that most of the attacks were orchestrated in cooperation with Hizbullah, in attempt to open up a third front in the West Bank.
Two Islamic Jihad operatives were killed Wednesday morning when an IAF helicopter gunship fired at least one missile towards the house they were occupying in a refugee camp in Jenin. The West Bank air strike was out of the ordinary, as the last air strike on the Palestinian territory was carried out 1.5 years ago. According to Palestinian reports, an Apache helicopter fired a missile at the house, which was occupied by a cell of al-Quds, the Islamic Jihad's military wing. The air strike killed Amjad Ajami, 20, from a village near Tul Karm, and Muhammad Atili, 28, from a village near Jenin. Atili was a leading member of the cell responsible for numerous attacks within Israel. Ajami was a fugitive since May of last year and was hiding in Tul Karm. About a year and a half ago, Ajami was recruited by the Islamic Jihad in northern Samaria to act as one of the two suicide bombers dispatched to carry out a double attack in Jerusalem, which was thwarted by security forces. He was involved in planning additional bombing attacks and recruiting bombers.