Sunday night, the Israel Defense Forces confronted a Hamas cell responsible for several shooting attacks in the Jericho area, when the battle was over the Hamas unit of seven was eliminated. During the operation, a force from a mixed male and female combat battalion identified a number of armed men and an exchange of fire ensued. The IDF force managed to neutralize the terrorists and remove the threat. Some of the terrorists who were shot and killed were involved in the attack at the Almog intersection just last week.
The IDF entered the operation knowing that they were confronting the squad that attempted to carry out a shooting attack on a restaurant a week ago in the Jericho area. The intelligence information pointed to a cell belonging to the terrorist organization Hamas and that it was hiding in the Jericho area, an area where the IDF has not been active in recent years due to the relative calm within the ancient city.
Green bandanas in the guns likely represents Hamas.
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) February 6, 2023
In recent days, the IDF has operated several times in the sector in an attempt to capture a Hamas squad that embedded itself in the area with the intent of sowing discord and turning the area into a front. The operations led to the elimination of a number of Hamas militants, but the squad itself was not captured.
However, the activity of the IDF and the Shin Bet focused this time on the Aqbat Jaber refugee camp near Jericho. During the night's activities, a number of armed terrorists were killed after initiating gunfire against the IDF forces who were carrying out searches and arrests. According to the Palestinians, seven people were killed.
IDF released footages of its units raiding the Aqet Jaber refugee camp, near Jericho, West Bank along with Shin Bet in an operation to capture wanted militants. pic.twitter.com/a3UL1YQxbq
— Supra (@cqc_coffee_guns) February 5, 2023
During the terrorist attack which caused the IDF’s operational reaction, two terrorists armed with weapons and vests arrived at the entrance of a restaurant, where about 30 diners were at the time, with the aim of committing mass murder. From video surveillance of the event, it appears that due to malfunctions in the weapons, the terrorists were unable to fire and they fled toward Jericho.
A military official stated that "since the restaurant incident, an intelligence effort by the Shin Bet and the IDF found that the militants had barricaded themselves in a hideout apartment in the Aqbat Jaber refugee camp, which is near Jericho, with the help of their family members and local residents, while declaring their intention to continue to attack."
Overnight, the IDF went to arrest terrorists who opened fire at a restaurant in Jericho. Palestinian gunmen opened fire at IDF troops and some were shot dead.
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) February 6, 2023
But you’ll just be hearing about “innocent Palestinians” killed.
The IDF spokeswoman and the Shin Bet spokeswoman said in a joint statement that "the IDF and the Shin Bet will continue to work to thwart any attempt by terrorist organizations and operatives to promote terrorist activity against the State of Israel, its citizens, and residents."
