6 West Bank Palestinians arrested for trying to build rockets to launch at Israel

Shin Bet and police say Jenin-area residents to be charged soon; settlers set fire to vehicles and building in West Bank after evacuation of illegal outpost

By Emanuel Fabian and Nurit Yohanan Today, 12:02 pm
Crude rockets captured by Israeli security forces from a Palestinian terror cell in the Jenin area in the West Bank, in a handout photo published November 3, 2026. (Israel Police)

Six Palestinians from the Jenin area in the northern West Bank were arrested for attempting to build rockets to launch at Israel, the Shin Bet security agency and Israel Police announced on Tuesday.

The investigation by the Shin Bet and police uncovered a terror network that had manufactured a rocket and explosive devices and had conducted at least three launch tests, according to a joint statement.

“The investigation also revealed that the cell received information via a messaging app concerning materials required to manufacture explosives, from an outside source who was in contact with the main suspect in the affair,” the Shin Bet and police said.

The main suspect confessed to having established the cell and gave up his fellow members. He claimed the rocket tests had shown successful results in power and range, and that after each test, the cell made improvements ahead of the next.

Another suspect confessed to helping the cell obtain explosives.

Forces seized several weapons, including an assault rifle and an RPG, along with “written materials containing information and instructions for manufacturing explosives, rockets and explosive devices intended for use against the State of Israel and security forces,” the statement said.

Prosecutors were expected to file indictments against the six in the coming days.

A Palestinian terror suspect, part of a rocket-launching cell, is seen detained by Israeli security forces in the Jenin area in the West Bank, in a handout photo published November 3, 2026. (Israel Police)

In recent years, there have been several attempts by Palestinian terror groups to develop and launch crude rockets from the West Bank at Israeli settlements and at Israel, with little to no success.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday morning, police said Border Police officers captured a wanted Palestinian and another suspect during a raid in the village of Kafr Dan, near Jenin, a day prior.

The wanted man, affiliated with the Palestinian Authority’s ruling Fatah party, “acted to advance terror activity while maintaining ties with other individuals, and had been hiding from security forces for an extended period,” police said.

The Border Police officers arrived undercover at a clothing store on Monday in Kafr Dan, where the wanted man was allegedly hiding, surrounded the building, and called on him to surrender.

“After realizing that the building was surrounded, the wanted man exited with his hands raised and surrendered to the force, which arrested him at the scene,” police said, adding that the business owner was also detained for assisting the wanted Palestinian in hiding.

Settlers said to set fire to vehicles, building in 2 locations in West Bank

Separately on Tuesday morning, Palestinian media outlets reported that extremist settlers set fire overnight to two vehicles and part of an unoccupied building in the South Hebron Hills.

Hebrew graffiti was sprayed on the building, reading: “Evictions = chaos.”

On Monday, Israeli security forces arrested 18 settlers who rioted and attacked troops during the evacuation of an illegal outpost in the northern West Bank.

Palestinian media outlets also reported that settlers set fire to several vehicles overnight in the village of Majdal Bani Fadil in the Nablus area.

No injuries were reported.

Settler violence against Palestinians has soared this year and spiked further in the weeks leading up to last week’s election, which produced inconclusive results, with neither the coalition under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor the bloc of parties seeking to oust him having a clear path to forming a new government.

Israel has faced growing international opprobrium over the surge in violence, which Netanyahu has downplayed as the work of a small number of delinquents emanating from outside the West Bank. Critics accuse the government of condoning and even encouraging the violence, which has led to the displacement of dozens of Palestinian families.

The IDF also faces mounting criticism for troops often standing by while attacks unfold, actively participating, or failing to prosecute those responsible.

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