Security forces announced on Monday the arrest of several Palestinian residents
of the Shuafat refugee camp in northern Jerusalem, on suspicion of a series of
recent Molotov cocktail and rockthrowing attacks.
The Shin Bet (Israel
Security Agency), Israel Police and Border Police jointly carried out the
arrests in October and November, saying the men, some of whom are affiliated
with Hamas, carried out daily attacks on police in their area and in the nearby
Ras Khamis neighborhood.
Security forces said such attacks have sharply
risen in recent months, prompting an investigation.
Three main suspects,
all linked by the Shin Bet to Hamas, have been named as Ahmed Tzanduka, 18,
Muhammad Tzalah, 20, and Malac Mahisan, 20.
The investigation showed that
this cell carried out a long line of attacks, including firebombings and rock
throwing at police, and a September 14 assault on a Border Police post with
Molotov cocktails, rocks and fireworks, when it was manned by a single
officer.
The suspects have been charged with manufacturing weapons,
aggravated assault, arson, aggravated assault on police and disorder.
The
Shin Bet vowed on Monday to continue its efforts to thwart violent disorder in
the Jerusalem area.
Hamas is seeking to gradually regroup in the West
Bank, according to IDF assessments. The group’s efforts are being thwarted by
the IDF and the Shin Bet, which maintain a tight grip on intelligence and
security in the area.
Last week, Maj. Guy Aviad, an expert on Hamas and
head of the instruction department at the IDF General Staff’s History
Department, said that while Hamas is trying to rebuild terror cells in the West
Bank, it is constructing an organized fighting entity in Gaza.
“Hamas is
building... regional brigades,” Aviad said.
The terror regime is
also exploiting breaks in between rounds of fighting to better hide its rockets
in underground bunkers, he added.