Israeli security forces arrested a number of Palestinians on Wednesday night in the towns of Silwad and Kobar, north of Ramallah, who were planning an imminent terrorist attack against Israeli targets.
IDF soldiers, Shin Bet operatives and officers from the Border Police's counterterrorism unit took part in the arrests.
The Israeli forces entered the area after Maad Hamad, who had been in the custody of the Palestinian Authority for carrying out a deadly terrorist attack in 2015, escaped from custody. Israeli citizen Malachi Rosenfeld was killed and three others were wounded in the shooting attack carried out by Hamad near Shvut Rahel in 2015.
The Shin Bet received intelligence on Wednesday that Hamad had escaped and was planning a terrorist attack against Israeli targets in the immediate future.
After a number of hours, Hamad was arrested by Israeli forces in Kobar, and three additional Palestinians suspected of promoting terrorist operations with Hamad were arrested in Silwad.
Security forces surrounded the house where the suspects were hiding and after the suspects refused to exit, they fired at the house and the suspects surrendered without being injured. The suspects were transferred for questioning by the Shin Bet.
Violent clashes broke out between Palestinians and Israeli forces as the Israeli forces entered the area, with dozens of rioters throwing rocks and firing at the forces, according to Palestinian reports.
A Palestinian was killed and a number of others were injured during the clashes, according to the reports.
Videos from the scene showed the riots, with one video showing an Israeli vehicle losing control and hitting a wall, with rioters subsequently surrounding the vehicle. The security forces in the vehicle were safely rescued.
"We got our hands on the killer of the late Malachi Rosenfeld," said Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Wednesday night. "Seven years ago, the heinous terrorist Maad Hamed carried out a shooting attack on a vehicle in the area near the Kida outpost and killed Malachi Rosenfeld of blessed memory and wounded three of his friends, who were on their way home from a basketball game (Shai Maimon was one of the wounded in the horrific attack)."
"Our forces, the Shin Bet, the counterterrorism unit and the IDF went into action and captured him, thus preventing a serious attack," added Bennett. "Our forces also arrested other suspects involved in the attack. Israel's long arm will reach anyone who raises a hand against us. It has no expiration date. I congratulate our soldiers."
