Israel Captures Hamas Terrorist Wanted for Murder in West Bank Operation

Latest Developments

• Israeli Forces Capture Terrorist in Nablus Hospital: The IDF along with Israel’s Shin Bet intelligence agency and Border Police announced on December 4 that they had captured Ayman Ghanam, a Hamas terrorist who was recovering at a Nablus hospital after sustaining wounds in an IDF drone strike the previous day. Ghanam, along with two other terrorists, murdered Yonatan Deutsch and wounded Anas Jaramana, both Israeli citizens, in a shooting attack at Mehola junction in the Jordan Valley on August 11. Following the shooting, Hamas issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attack.

• Israel Eliminates Two Members of Hamas Cell Responsible for Mehola Junction Shooting: A drone strike in the northern West Bank town of Sir on December 1 killed four Palestinian gunmen, including 31-year-old Hamas member Wael Lahlouh, who also participated in the murder of Deutsch. Separately, on October 9, IDF troops and Yamam counter-terrorism forces located another member of the cell, Abd al-Ra’uf Masri, and eliminated him in a shootout.

• Hamas Gunman Attacks Bus in the West Bank: A Hamas member carried out a shooting attack against a bus near the Israeli community of Ariel on November 29. The gunman wounded eight people, including four IDF soldiers, before he was shot dead by Israeli troops. Hamas later claimed responsibility for the attack, saying Samir Muhammad Hussein belonged to the group.

FDD Expert Response

“Terrorist groups in the West Bank continue attacking Israeli civilian and military targets. Yet eliminating terrorists who have carried out attacks is only a partial solution to the ongoing problem in the West Bank. Despite their significant differences, Israel and the Palestinian Authority should forge closer security ties to resolve the mutual problem of Iran-backed terrorist groups, such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, that operate in the West Bank.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal

“The elimination of perpetrators of a terrorist attack by the Israel Defense Forces illustrates the professionalism and precision with which the IDF is acting to thwart threats. Over the last year, various terrorist groups have sought to exploit the fighting in Gaza by carrying out a wave of attacks against Israeli forces and civilians in the West Bank. By tracking down the perpetrators of these attacks, Israel is showing that it has the capabilities to keep these emerging threats in check.” — Seth J. Frantzman, FDD Adjunct Fellow