Shin Bet: Islamic Jihad Terrorist Behind Shooting Attack Arrested

Terrorist who fired at Israeli vehicle arrested while planning more attacks, weapon seized

By: Gary Willig

The Shin Bet announced on Monday that a member of the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization who was behind the shooting at an Israeli driver last week has been arrested.

Bahaa Yousef, 27, is accused of carrying out the shooting at Adam Square in the Binyamin region on Thursday morning. An Israeli vehicle was damaged, but no one was injured in the attack.

Yousef was arrested yesterday (Sunday), and the gun he allegedly used in the attack was seized.

According to the IDF, Yousef was planning to carry out additional shooting attacks,

There have been numerous shooting attacks in Judea and Samaria in the last month. On February 26, two Israeli brothers were murdered in a shooting attack in the village of Huwara. Three other Israelis have been wounded in two additional shootings in Huwara since then. On February 28, US-Israeli citizen Elan Ganeles was murdered while driving to a friend’s wedding.

Last week, during a joint IDF and Shin Be) counterterrorism activity, the forces apprehended a terrorist squad from the town of Beit Ummar, who carried out a shooting attack toward the community of Karmei Tzur on January 22.

In less than a week after the shooting, IDF and Shin Bet forces apprehended three 20-year-old operatives from the town of Beit Ummar and transferred them for questioning.

Also on Monday, Israel National News reported that according to Palestinian-Arab sources, the son of the terrorist who murdered Hallel and Yagel Yaniv in Huwara almost a month ago has been arrested in a combined IDF-Shin Bet operation conducted on Monday morning.

The sources report an exchange of fire between Israeli security forces and PA-Arabs in a refugee camp not far from Shechem (Nablus) after the security forces raided the home of Abd al-Fattah Hussein Ibrahim Gharusha, who is accused of having shot and murdered the Yaniv brothers.

Hallel and Yagel Yaniv were murdered as they drove through the PA-Arab town of Huwara on Highway 60 on their way to the yeshivas where they learned. Since then, another two shooting attacks have occurred in Huwara. In the first of the two attacks, David Stern was wounded; he has since been discharged from hospital. In the second of the incidents, two IDF soldiers were injured.

Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan has blamed the government for the continual attacks, saying that “this is beginning to look like they have abandoned us.”

On Sunday, MK Tzvi Sukkot (Religious Zionism party) marched through the heart of the Arab village of Huwara in Samaria while carrying an Israeli flag, The MK’s march followed the third terrorist shooting in Huwara in the last month.

MK Sukkot said: “Here on this road, which is on the way to all the settlements in the area, there were three serious shooting attacks in the last month. Unfortunately, nothing significant seems to be being done to prevent the fourth
attack.”

“I am calling on Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the checkpoints around the city of Shechem (Nablu)s must be restored immediately. We need to close the trade here, take care of the traffic arrangements here and engage in an uncompromising war against the enemy. It doesn’t matter if it’s Ramadan or not, you have to go to war with the enemy. This is your job, Yoav Gallant, we are here to strengthen the Jewish residents of the area. We will continue to drive here on our way home,” he said.

(IsraelNationalNews.com)