In a welcome turn of events, seven armed terrorists handed themselves over to the Israeli security forces Wednesday night in the town of Qabatia in Samaria. Typically, these confrontations end in bloodshed, however, given the recent success of Israel's targeted assassinations, it appears the militants thought better and surrendered instead of engaging the forces. Upon their extradition, they were transferred to the Shin Bet for investigations and are now being held by Israel.
According to multiple Israeli reports, some of the armed terrorists are identified with the Islamic Jihad, so there is suspicion that they were on their way to carry out an attack against the background of the operation in the Gaza Strip. It will also be investigated whether they are complicit in the attacks that have occurred in recent times.
This is an extremely unusual event in which terrorists hand themselves over to the Israeli security forces since terrorist operatives usually prefer to hand themselves over to the Palestinian Authority, which tends to be far more sympathetic to their cause and actions against Israeli civilians. In the activity of the security forces in Qabatia, two terrorists who planned to carry out an attack in Israel were eliminated. And it was reported Thursday morning that a third Palestinian among the number shot in yesterday's exchange of fire in Qabatia died of his wounds.
Palestinian man, Aws Hamamda, 30 years old, has succumbed to his injuries that he sustained yesterday by Israeli occupation troops during a military raid into Qabatia town in Jenin. pic.twitter.com/sNe3weXyyt
— Aya Isleem 🇵🇸 #Gaza (@AyaIsleemEn) May 11, 2023
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces operation in Gaza is continuing, targeting numerous Palestinian Islamic Jihad outposts and warehouses. The IDF spokesperson stated that "IDF warplanes attacked and thwarted the commander of the rocket division of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip, a short time ago, while he was in a hiding apartment in Khan Yunis. According to reports, the attack killed two Other PIJ activists who were with him in the safe house."
The commander assassinated was responsible for the processes of aiming and firing rockets toward the territory of the State of Israel, among other things also for the latest barrages in the "Shield and Arrow" operation. He directed and took part in the firing patterns and rocket barrages aimed at Israel in the two previous IDF operations in Gaza as well. The Islamic Jihad said after he was killed in a precise airstrike that "the death of the commander of the missile unit will not stop our missiles. We are able to expand the circle of fire."
🇮🇱/🇵🇸❗WEST BANK 3 wanted terrorists were killed in an exchange of fire with IDF forces.
— BREAKING NEWS (@BR3AKINGNEWS24) May 10, 2023
An exchange of fire broke out in the village of Qabatia between militants and IDF forces, during an operation to arrest wanted persons.#Israel #Gaza #WestBank pic.twitter.com/e4FvdNZaeO
IDF spokesman, Brigadier General Daniel Hagari noted amid rumors of a ceasefire: "As long as there is no official announcement of a ceasefire, we are prepared, and we will continue the actions we have carried out on the last day." Brigadier General Hagari stated that the objectives of the "Shield and Arrow" operation were actually achieved at the beginning, with the elimination of the three senior members of the Islamic Jihad.
