January 23, 2025 | Flash Brief

During Ongoing Jenin Operation, IDF Eliminates Terrorists Who Killed Three Israelis

January 23, 2025 | Flash Brief

During Ongoing Jenin Operation, IDF Eliminates Terrorists Who Killed Three Israelis

Latest Developments

  • 2 Gunmen Killed by IDF in Jenin: The IDF said it eliminated two Palestinian terrorists during counterterrorism operations in the West Bank who were responsible for murdering three Israelis in a January 6 attack. Mohammed Nazal and Qutaiba al-Shalabi were killed in a firefight when IDF special forces and Shin Bet agents surrounded a building in Wadi Burqin, on the outskirts of Jenin, and utilized the “pressure cooker” tactic to force the terrorists from their barricaded positions. Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar said that Israeli security forces would continue searching for the third perpetrator of the attack and would “get to him” eventually as well.
  • Hamas and PIJ Both Claim Terrorists: Both Nazal and al-Shalabi were members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist organization’s Jenin branch, according to the IDF. Hamas also published a statement praising the now deceased men for carrying out the January 6 attack, which occurred near the West Bank village of al-Funduq. On January 8, Hamas’s al-Qassam Brigades claimed joint responsibility for the attack alongside the PIJ’s al-Quds Brigades and the Fatah-linked al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade.
  • Operation ‘Iron Wall’ Enters Third Day: The IDF’s extensive “Iron Wall” counterterrorism operation in Jenin, initiated to counter Iranian-backed terror threats emanating from the West Bank enclave, continued on January 23. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the IDF was applying lessons learned from its war against Hamas in Gaza during the raids, with the Israeli Air Force carrying out several strikes while providing close air support to troops on the ground. Hundreds of soldiers are participating in the ongoing operation, which the IDF says has so far killed 13 Palestinian terrorists.

FDD Expert Response

“Realistically, Israel may never be able to eradicate terrorist groups in the West Bank. Still, there is a difference between managing a low-level insurgency and a coordinated campaign of terrorism backed by outside actors that has persisted for more than three years. With the Gaza war seemingly over and a weakened Iranian axis, severely degrading the infrastructure built by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the territory must be a priority for Israel. A sound strategy must be in place because the near-daily counterterrorism raids have not resolved Israel’s security challenges in the West Bank.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal

“Responsibility for the January 6 terror attack was claimed by both Hamas and the PIJ, so their statements today praising the now deceased perpetrators make sense and suggest a more cemented Iran-backed Sunni terrorist axis may be forming between the two groups in the West Bank. This could be an attempt to reconstitute their forces after losing significant manpower fighting in Gaza, and the IDF’s latest operation in Jenin is indicative of how seriously Israel views this combined threat.” Aaron Goren, Research Analyst and Editor

FDD Background and Analysis

West Bank terrorism persists, IDF launches operation in Jenin,” by Joe Truzman

‘Iron Wall’: Israel Swoops on West Bank in New War Goal,” FDD Flash Brief

IDF Strikes Hamas Cell in Jenin Amid PA Crackdown,” FDD Flash Brief

More Than 1,000 Terror Attacks in West Bank and Jerusalem Thwarted in 2024,” FDD Flash Brief

Issues:

Issues:

Israel Israel at War Jihadism

Topics:

Topics:

Iran Israel Hamas Palestinians Israel Defense Forces Gaza City West Bank Jerusalem Sunni Islam Palestinian Islamic Jihad Fatah Israeli Air Force Shin Bet Jenin Israel Katz al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades Ronen Bar Al-Quds Brigades