IDF Nabs 14 Terrorists in West Bank During Overnight Raids

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the arrest of 14 wanted terrorists on Monday evening, adding to the nearly 3,600 who have been arrested since the start of the war against Hamas in Gaza.

The operation took place in the West Bank, where fighting broke out and the IDF opened fire on the terrorists.

“The soldiers of the IDF, the Shin Bet, and the Border Police operated tonight to arrest 14 wanted persons throughout Judea and Samaria [the West Bank],” read an IDF statement. “The fighters were operating in Beit Omer in Sheva Tzion, the village from which a house was fired at in Caremi Tzur during the night. During the activity in the village, the fighters located a gun and ammunition. In Beit Fajer, in the brigade’s sector, the fighters located two more weapons.”

Since the war in Gaza broke out on Oct. 7 following Hamas’ attack on southern Israel, in which 1,200 people were murdered and more than 250 others taken hostage, the IDF, the Shin Bet security agency, and Israel’s Border Police have been working around the clock to prevent any repeat of the Hamas atrocities.

This work has led to the mass arrests of previously wanted terrorists from towns across the West Bank, including individuals who were in the process of planning terror attacks. Per IDF numbers, roughly 1,600 of the 3,600 arrested have been members of Hamas, illustrating the growing support among Palestinians in the West Bank of the Gaza-based terror organization.

According to new polling last week from the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, some 71 percent of Palestinians in the West Bank believe Hamas’ decision to launch an offensive against Israel on Oct. 7 was “correct.” Mounting evidence has revealed that Hamas terrorists indiscriminately killed, mutilated, and systemically raped civilians during the onslaught.

The polling also found that, among Palestinians in the West Bank, 75 percent are satisfied with Hamas’ performance in the war with Israel, about two-thirds would prefer Hamas to control Gaza after the war, and a plurality (35 percent) would choose Hamas when asked about support for Palestinian political parties and movements.

Despite the support for Hamas, Palestinians in the West Bank did not rise up against Israel on Oct. 7, although the Israeli security establishment has been preparing for such a scenario, especially if another front opens on Israel’s northern border with the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon.