Israeli troops on Tuesday morning detained a member of the Lion’s Den terror group in the West Bank city of Nablus as local gunmen attempted to target the forces, the military said.
The arrest came amid a months-long Israeli anti-terror effort, mostly in the northern West Bank, following a series of terror attacks that killed 31 people in 2022.
The Israel Defense Forces said troops entered Nablus’s Rafidiya neighborhood to arrest Wasim Zaher Estitiyeh, 26, a member of the armed group based in the northern West Bank city who was responsible for recent shooting attacks in the area.
Palestinian media reports said gunmen opened fire at the Israeli troops operating in the city. The IDF said “gunfire was heard in the area” during the operation, but troops did not directly come under attack.
The IDF said another 15 Palestinians were arrested elsewhere across the West Bank, with some violent incidents.