Israeli forces nab suspects in northern West Bank shooting attack
IDF, Shin Bet say Nasser al-Naqeeb opened fire at Israeli motorist near Nablus on Friday, with the aid of his son; Lion’s Den terror group claims responsibility without evidence
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Israeli security forces on Sunday morning arrested a Palestinian man and his son, suspected of opening fire at an Israeli car in the northern West Bank over the weekend, the military and Shin Bet security agency said.
Late Saturday night, the Nablus-based Lion’s Den terror group claimed responsibility for the attack a day earlier, near the unauthorized outpost of Havat Gilad, south of the West Bank city.
The terror group did not provide any evidence it had committed the attack.
The Israeli motorist was unharmed in the shooting Friday, but the gunfire — at least four shots — shattered the car’s windows and struck the driver’s headrest.
Palestinian media reports said Israeli forces arrested Nasser al-Naqeeb, 47, along with his son Mahmoud, in the Askar refugee camp on the outskirts of Nablus on Sunday morning.
In a joint statement, the IDF and Shin Bet confirmed the arrest of al-Naqeeb, but did not say he was a member of Lion’s Den, but rather identified him as a former prisoner in Israel over his membership in the mostly dormant Tanzim terror group.
القوات الاسرائيلية تعتقل ناصر النقيب ونجله محمد، بعد محاصرة منزلهما في مخيم عسكر القديم بنابلس. pic.twitter.com/Uim83JliFm
— SadaNews (@SadaNewsPS) December 18, 2022
He was also suspected of involvement in weapons sales, the Shin Bet said.
Mohammed al-Naqeeb, the suspect’s son, was suspected of aiding his father in the attack, the statement added.
Clashes erupted in the camp amid the arrest raid. Palestinian media citing the Palestinian Red Crescent said seven people were hurt, one of them by gunfire.
The IDF said troops came under fire during the operation, and rioters hurled large stones at troops as they exited the area. Troops returned fire at suspects, the IDF said.
No soldiers were hurt, according to the military.
عاجل| تغطية صحفية: اندلاع مواجـــهات مع قوات الاحتلال في مخيم عسكر القديم بنابلس.#فلسطين pic.twitter.com/h1ZN9NdxQT
— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) December 18, 2022
In recent months, Palestinian gunmen have repeatedly targeted military posts, troops operating along the West Bank security barrier, Israeli settlements and civilians on the roads.
The attacks came amid an Israeli anti-terror offensive mostly focused on the northern West Bank to deal with a series of Palestinian attacks that have left 31 people in Israel and the West Bank dead since the start of the year.
The operation has netted more than 2,500 arrests in near-nightly raids, but has also left over 165 Palestinians dead, many of them — but not all — while carrying out attacks or during clashes with security forces.
In a separate arrest raid early Sunday, troops detained a wanted Palestinian in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, the IDF said.
