JNS
The head of the terror network in Nur Shams was among those slain hiding in a mosque after clashes with troops.
Israeli forces killed five Palestinian terrorists who hid in a mosque following exchanges of fire during counterterrorism activities in Tulkarem in northern Samaria overnight Wednesday.
Muhhamad Jabber, also known as Abu Shujaa, the head of the Nur Shams terrorist network, was among those killed, according to a joint statement from Israel Defense Forces, Israel Security Agency and Israel Border Police.
The local terror leader participated in many terror attacks, according to the statement, including the shooting in Qalqilya in June that killed Israeli civilian Amnon Muchtar.
Jabber was also involved in planning additional terror attacks, the IDF said.
Members of the Israeli Border Police's elite Yamam counterterrorism unit engaged the terrorists based on ISA intelligence.
A Yamam officer was lightly wounded during the clashes and was evacuated to a hospital for further medical treatment.
In addition, a terrorist operative was apprehended by security forces during the operation. Arab media identified the arrested individual as Mohammed Qassas, a member of Islamic Jihad's Tulkarem wing.
According to Palestinian reports, the suspect was arrested by undercover Israeli forces on the outskirts of Tulkarem. Military reinforcements later arrived at the scene.
Israel launched the large-scale operation in the Jenin and Tulkarem areas overnight Tuesday, involving hundreds of troops and air support. Troops were also active in the Far’a camp in Tubas.
According to Channel 12, the goal of the operation is to hit as much terrorist infrastructure as possible in northern Samaria and the Jordan Valley, with an emphasis on neutralizing explosives and locating terror operatives.
"The security system feared the presence of additional explosives in the area, similar to the bomb that exploded in Tel Aviv last week," Channel 12 reported.
"It is estimated that additional explosives were indeed smuggled into the refugee camps. According to estimates, this is an infrastructure that ... includes, among other things, explosives laboratories and a complete chain for transporting explosives to the engineers in those laboratories. The mission is to locate these labs and destroy them, but the operation may take some time."
Danon to Guterres: 'We will not wait for ... exploding buses'
Israel's United Nations Ambassador Danny Danon on Thursday morning responded to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' call for a halt to IDF activity in Judea and Samaria.
"Since Oct. 7, Iran has been working vigorously to introduce into Judea and Samaria sophisticated explosive devices that are intended to detonate in the centers of Israeli cities," Danon tweeted.
"The State of Israel cannot sit idly by and wait for the spectacle of buses and cafes exploding in city centers. The activity of the IDF forces in Judea and Samaria is intended for the clear purpose of thwarting terrorist attacks and acts before they are carried out under Iranian direction."
Hours earlier, Guterres had tweeted:
"Latest developments in the occupied West Bank, including Israel's launch of large-scale military operations, are deeply concerning. I strongly condemn the loss of lives, including of children, and I call for an immediate cessation of these operations."
