IDF again raids Palestinian car-rammer's hometown

Army confiscates stolen cars, ‘terror funds’ in Silwad; soldiers find improvised submachine gun in Sanur

By Judah Ari Gross 13 April 2017, 10:50 am Edit

Judah Ari Gross is The Times of Israel's religions and Diaspora affairs correspondent.

The IDF returned to Silwad in the West Bank, the hometown of a Palestinian man who killed a soldier last week, seizing alleged “terror funds” and stolen cars early Thursday morning, the army said.

According to the military, some NIS 85,000 ($23,000) was confiscated in the overnight operation in the Palestinian town outside Ramallah.

Three stolen cars were also seized, the army said.

The IDF carried out a similar operation in Silwad last week.

Last Thursday, a resident of the town, 21-year-old Malek Ahmad Mousa Hamed, rammed his car into two soldiers at the nearby Ofra junction. Sgt. Elhai Teharlev, 20, was killed and another soldier was lightly wounded.

A stolen car seized by the IDF as part of its raid Silwad on April 13, 2017, which is the hometown of a Palestinian man who drove his car into two soldiers, killing one of them last week. (IDF Spokesperson's Unit) — A stolen car seized by the IDF as part of its raid Silwad on April 13, 2017, which is the hometown of a Palestinian man who drove his car into two soldiers, killing one of them last week. (IDF Spokesperson’s Unit)

It is “part of the ‘concept of expanded prevention’ for taking action against all the circles of support for the terrorist and his family,” the army said in a statement.

In Sanur, southwest of Jenin, the army uncovered an improvised, Carlo-style submachine gun, the army said.

A gun found in the northern West Bank village of Sanur on April 13, 2017. (IDF Spokesperson's Unit) — A gun found in the northern West Bank village of Sanur on April 13, 2017. (IDF Spokesperson’s Unit)

This year, over 100 guns have been confiscated by the IDF, as part of its crackdown on the illegal weapons trade.

Elsewhere in the West Bank, the army arrested six Palestinian suspects for throwing rocks or taking part in violent protests, the army said.

One person was arrested in Ramallah; another in nearby Hizme; two people were picked up in Bethlehem; the fifth was arrested in the nearby al-Ayda refugee camp; and the last suspect was arrested in Khirbet al-Tabka, outside Hebron.