Israeli troops kill three Islamic Jihad gunmen in West Bank gunbattle
Border Police officers surround building in Qabatiya, near Jenin, after coming under fire during arrest raid; troops find rifles, bombs, other combat equipment
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Three gunmen from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group were killed by Israeli forces during a firefight in the northern West Bank, the army said Tuesday.
No Israeli soldiers were injured in the Tuesday morning exchange, which came as troops raided the Jenin area as part of an ongoing anti-terror operation.
Border police troops had entered the town of Qabatiya south of Jenin to arrest Raed Hanaysha, 24, a PIJ operative previously imprisoned for terrorism. Hanshaya is suspected of being involved in shooting and bombing attacks against soldiers in the West Bank that did not cause casualties, according to a joint statement from the Israel Defense Forces, Israel Police, and Shin Bet security service.
Officers laid siege to the building where Hanaysha was holed up after coming under fire from two other gunmen in the building, using a tactic known as a “pressure cooker,” which involves escalating the volume of fire against a building to flush suspects out.
Both Hanaysha and the two gunmen were killed, with Islamic Jihad later confirming that the three had been members of the terror group.
The other two men were identified by PIJ as Anwar Saba’neh, 25, and Suleiman Tazazaa, 32.
تزُف سرايا القدس الجناح العسكري لحركة الجهاد الإسلامي في فلسطين
-الشهيد المجاهد أنور نضال توفيق سباعنة (25 عاماً).
-الشهيد المجاهد رائد عبد الرحمن صادق حنايشة (24 عاماً).
-الشهيد المجاهد سليمان عدنان سليمان طزازعة (32 عاماً).من أبطال سرايا القدس-كتيبة جنين مجموعات قباطية. pic.twitter.com/qicjSnYTBp
— Asrawi (@Asrawithethird) November 19, 2024
Three assault rifles and other military equipment were found on the bodies of the terrorists.
In addition, the Israeli troops found three more weapons and destroyed two bomb-making labs, as well as several bombs that had been placed under roads to harm soldiers.
Since October 7, 2023, when the Hamas terror group attacked Israel, starting the ongoing war in Gaza, troops have arrested some 5,250 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including more than 2,050 affiliated with Hamas.
According to the Palestinian Authority health ministry, more than 716 West Bank Palestinians have been killed in that time. The IDF says the vast majority of them were gunmen killed in exchanges of fire, rioters who clashed with troops or terrorists killed while carrying out attacks.
During the same period, 41 people, including Israeli security personnel, have been killed in terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank. Another six members of the security forces were killed in clashes with terror operatives in the West Bank.
Since October 7, 2023, the IDF has carried out more than 70 airstrikes in the West Bank, using drones, attack helicopters, and fighter jets.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
